Mischief and Mishaps
by turbo denali
Summary: A series of one-shots ranging from comedic fluffiness to angsty drama that'll make you tearbend. Overall rating is M for mature content in some chapters.
1. Beach

**DISCLAIMER: Korra and the rest of the Avatar franchise are not mine. 'Nuff said.**

**WARNING: This fic contains mature content and depicts an intimate relationship between two women. If that's something you can't quite handle, then I suggest you find something else to read.**

**Written for day 1 of Korrasami week. Prompt: Beach.**

Spoiler Warning: Takes place between Book 2 and Book 3.

/

"Wait, how can the South Pole have a _beach_?"

Bolin shrugged. "I don't know, Mako. Korra told me that we should grab bathing suits and towels and then go meet her by the eastern gate."

"You didn't ask about it?" Mako rummaged through his belongings and pulled out an old pair of shorts.

"She didn't really give me the chance," said Bolin. "She just stuck her head in the door and told me we were going to the beach. I don't know anything else about it."

Mako raised a brow and looked at his brother as if waiting for him to spill the beans on some crazy secret. "This isn't a prank, is it? Because I really don't feel like being stuck outside in nothing but a pair of shorts."

"Mako, I _swear_. No funny business." Bolin hesitated. "That I know of," he added.

"Great."

/

Korra and Asami were already at the gate by the time Bolin managed to drag Mako out of their igloo. The two women were chatting amiably. Korra said something Mako couldn't quite make out, but Asami's laughter told him it must've been something funny. He stopped, then took a step back.

"What's the deal, Mako?" Bolin asked.

The firebender ran a hand through his hair and suddenly found the compound's watchtowers very interesting. "I dunno," he said. "I.. uh… Look, I don't think they've seen us yet. I'm just going to go back inside. Tell them I'm going over some old case notes or… something."

Bolin rolled his eyes. "Seriously? You just got done helping the Avatar save the world, and now you're worried about going swimming with two ladies?"

"Bolin…"

"Besides, they're friends."

"… Bo."

"_Pretty_ friends."

"Girlfriends, Bolin. They're my ex-girlfriends."

Bolin shrugged. "Fine," he said. "Have it your way. You can go mope in our igloo. I'm gonna go."

"Fine."

"Fine!"

"_Fine._"

An old fisherman shuffled by, stopping to stare at the brothers. Bolin gave him a friendly wave and Mako turned away with a huff, hurrying off before anyone else could see him. The earthbender shook his head and ran up to the gate.

"Hey, Bolin. Where's Mako?" Asami asked, peering over his shoulder.

"He's not feeling well." Bolin watched Korra from the corner of his eye and waited for her reaction.

"Oh well," said Korra. "His loss."

Bolin eyeballed her with curiosity. For someone who had recently gone through a break up and had a habit of acting on her emotions, she seemed to be handling things unexpectedly well. Asami seemed to be relatively unperturbed, too. Weird.

Korra led them through the smaller human-sized door next to the much larger gate. "Anyway, I'm glad at least you two could make it. This used to be one of my favorite places as a kid. You're gonna _love_ it."

/

Huff. Puff. Huff. Puff. Crunch. Munch. Crunch. Munch.

Bolin smiled as he listened to the sounds of his own breathing and his heavy steps through the snow. They sometimes got snow in Republic City, but it was nothing like this. Even though Mako ceased to be amazed within a couple days of their arrival at the South Pole, Bolin couldn't get enough of it.

Crunch. Munch. Crunch. Munch. Crunch… Squish?

Bolin glanced up and realized that both Korra and Asami had already come to a stop. There was a slight rise ahead of him where the snow appeared to be little more than a dusting and dark rock peeked out now and again from underneath. Korra eagerly kicked off her boots and began working at the buttons on her parka.

Asami looked at Korra with mild confusion, then amusement. Understanding brightened her face and she quickly followed suit. "Now it makes sense," she said as she undid the fastenings on her parka.

"I don't get it," Bolin mumbled as he pulled off his sweater. "Man, is it cold out here!"

A flash of dark skin and white wraps caught his eye as Korra whooped and sprinted up and over the rock. She jumped and disappeared. Bolin heard the loud splash over the clattering of his own teeth. He stumbled up the rise and looked down to see Korra floating on her back with a grin so wide he could see all of her teeth.

"Welcome to La Tan Hot Spring - the largest hot spring in the South Pole!" she shouted. She splashed around and gestured around her. "Or as I like to call it, the beach."

Bolin laughed and launched himself off of the rock, curling into the perfect cannonball. Asami was already in the water by the time he resurfaced and something about her grabbed his attention. Her hair was piled on her head and a few loose tendrils curled against her neck. That was normal. She wore a simple bathing suit that was modest, but not prudish. That was normal, too. He narrowed his eyes, struggling to figure out what it was.

Korra chuckled at something Asami said and casually leaned against a nearby rock. Bolin studied their interactions. Laughter. Smiles. Eye contact. Casual touching. Lingering looks.

"No _way_!"

Conversation between the two women stopped and they both looked at him with concern. Korra cocked her head. "Is everything okay?" she asked.

"Uh… yup. Yeah! Everything is a-okay. Hah. Just, you know, taking the sights. All the snow and the… water…" Bolin trailed off and smiled. Maybe it was a good thing that Mako didn't come along.

Korra gave him a funny look and conversation picked up where it left off. Asami inched closer and leaned forward ever so slightly. Neither one of them reacted to it. Neither one of them really seemed to notice. Bolin swam over and tried to listen, tossing in clever one-liners whenever possible. When he wasn't talking, however, he was paying close attention to their casually intimate interactions.

After a few minutes, Korra hopped out of the water and used her bending to create a huge pile of snow. Careful hand movements - a wave here, a flick there - and it became clear what she was doing. "No trip to the beach is complete without a sand castle. Though I guess it's a snow castle in this case."

Asami's eyes followed every graceful move. Bolin even caught her staring at Korra's strong, lean legs. He nearly rolled his eyes. It was so obvious. But the only indication he received that either one of them knew what was going on came when Asami brushed a piece of hair from Korra's face. A splash of red warmed her cheeks as she struggled to appear unaffected.

Bingo.

Bolin laughed inside and closed his eyes. He resolved to corner Korra later that evening. Water splashed his face and he sputtered. He wiped the water from his eyes and grinned. "No fair," he said. "You attacked me while my eyes were shut."

"That was kinda the point."

/

Dinner was over and conversation around the table was loud and lively. Bolin noticed Korra glance around before casually slipping away. He waited a few minutes before excusing himself. He ignored Mako's questioning look, wrapped his borrowed furs tightly around his body, and stepped out into the freezing night. It dawned on him that he didn't know where Korra went, but he knew where to start looking.

Bolin took off for the oversized igloo Korra had made for Naga. As he approached, he heard a soft voice and the occasional whine and huff. He peeked inside and saw Korra stroking Naga's broad head.

"There's no way it would work," Korra told her animal companion.

"Why not?" asked Bolin. He ducked his head and entered, stepping aside to avoid a couple of burning torches. "Why won't it work?"

"Why won't what work?"

Bolin gave her an incredulous look and smirked. "Don't play dumb, Korra. I'm the master of playing dumb. I always know when someone's doing it and _you_ are especially bad at it."

Korra sighed and slumped against Naga. Bolin crouched, then took a seat next to her.

"It'll never work because as soon as we get back to Republic City, she's going to run off and get back to her own life. She has no reason to stick around." Korra groaned and rubbed her face with her hands.

"So give her a reason to. To stick around, I mean." Bolin made a small snowball. He tossed it against the igloo wall and felt altogether pleased with himself when it smacked against the middle of a brick and stuck to it. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Asami isn't the kind of person who just stops being someone's friend for no good reason."

Korra hesitated before responding. "But… what if I don't want to be her _friend_?"

"Tell her."

"But what if she doesn't feel the same way?"

Bolin raised an eyebrow and stared. "You're kidding, right?" He sighed and stood. "If you don't ask, then you'll never know."

"But what about Mako?" asked Korra. "He's… I don't want to make things worse between us."

"Mako's a big boy. Moody, but still a big boy. He'll get over it," Bolin assured her. He struggled not to laugh. It struck him as oddly funny that one of the most powerful people in the world was so lost and naive when it came to romance. He offered her a hand and pulled her up.

A long shadow filled the igloo door. "Korra?"

Korra blushed and wiped her hands on her pants. "Hey, Asami. Come on in. Bolin and I were just checking on Naga."

Asami came into view, somehow managing to look elegant even with layers of heavy furs and a thick scarf. "Hi, Bolin."

"Hiya." Bolin waved and pointed to the door. "I'm gonna go hit the hay. I'll leave you two. Alone." He turned to leave and didn't bother to hide the smug smile on his face.

"Bolin?"

He threw a glance back over his shoulder at Korra. "Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

It took a moment for Bolin's eyes to adjust once he was back out in the open. He lingered for a short while and listened closely.

"What was that about?" asked Asami.

"Nothing. Actually, I'm glad you're here. I wanted to talk to you about something."

Bolin's smug smile grew wider and he walked off, whistling as he shuffled through the fresh snow. Crunch. Munch. Crunch. Munch. Oh yes, this had been a most productive day.

/

Bolin was already stuffing his face with seaweed toast and prune jam when Asami entered the dining hall. Her hair - though still sleek and wavy - had a hint of unruliness to it and there was a light bounce in her step. He nodded at a nearby bowl of fruit. "Good morning," he said. "You should have some of this fruit. An airship came in yesterday and they had a whole basket of this stuff on board."

"Good morning," she echoed. She reached for a piece of lychee fruit and stopped when a booming voice filled the hall.

"What is _that_?"

Bolin swiveled his head and saw Korra pulling on a scarf, trying desperately - and failing - to cover a faint bruise on her neck. A hickey, Bolin noted with a grin.

"It's nothing, dad," she said.

Her father loomed protectively over her. "Who did that to you?" He straightened and turned the full weight of his glare on Mako. "Did you do this?"

Mako held up his hands and cringed, wide-eyed and doing a darn good job of mimicking an antelope deer caught in a pair of headlights. "No. Nope. I had nothing to do with that."

"Who did this?"

"Dad, calm down."

"No, I want to know!"

Bolin looked over at Asami. The tall woman hadn't budged an inch, but her face was a shade of red he hadn't thought the human body could produce. Gradually, he realized he wasn't the only one who noticed Asami's guilty expression. All eyes slowly turned to her.

"Um… Ooops?"

/

**A/N: I didn't know this was Korrasami week until about two hours ago, so have mercy on my poor, wretched soul. I'll do my best to write an installment for each prompt this week. Stay tuned for more details.**


	2. Breathless

**DISCLAIMER: Korra and the rest of the Avatar franchise are not mine. 'Nuff said.**

**WARNING: This fic contains mature content and depicts an intimate relationship between two women. If that's something you can't quite handle, then I suggest you find something else to read.**

**Written for day 2 of Korrasami week. Prompt: Breathless.**

Spoiler Warning: Contains spoilers up through the end of Book 3. This fic actually takes place 15-20 years after the series ends. Since we don't know how Book 4 is gonna turn out, I'm just gonna make stuff up as I go along…

/

Keeping up with the Avatar could be hard work. Sometimes it even left Asami breathless. The engineer was flat on her back, regretting her one simple mistake - such an elementary mistake, too! - that allowed Korra to pin her before she even knew what was going on. She lay there and gasped for breath, secretly thankful for the temporary reprieve. Laughter danced in Korra's eyes, though she kept her mouth shut. She was as competitive as ever, but she had also matured enough to learn how to not be an ungracious winner or a sore loser.

"Well, Miss Sato," she said leaning in, "looks like I've got you exactly where I want you." Korra sat back on her haunches and offered Asami a hand.

Despite her apparent inability to breathe, Asami still managed to roll her eyes and jab teasingly at Korra's arm. Korra let out a melodramatic cry and fell backward. "Asami! I can't believe you would do such a thing - attacking me when my guard is down. So rude!" She pushed herself up into a kneeling position and noticed Asami still lay on the mat. Her smile faded slightly. "Did I get carried away again? I'm so sorry."

Asami waved a dismissive hand and finally peeled herself off the mat. "No, I'm fine." She took a deep breath and winced. "Okay, I might have a few bruises. But other than that, I'm fine. Really."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Korra accepted this with grim reluctance and stood, pulling her girlfriend to her feet. Asami gave her a quick peck on her cheek and padded away to sort out their sparring gear. This was their routine. Asami would put away their gear and Korra would make sure her clay pro-bending disks and jugs of water were in their rightful places. Then the two of them would clean up and eat dinner. It was routine that Korra loved. Unfortunately, she was beginning to suspect that their routine was in need of some modifications. She noted the way the other woman moved and scolded herself. She needed to be more careful.

"Asami, let me take care of that," said Korra. She reached for the hand pads and snatched them before Asami could pick them up. "You head for the shower. I'll be right up behind you."

Asami put a hand on her hip and held out the other. "Give them back, Korra. I'm fine."

"No, you're not. You're obviously favoring your left side."

"Korra, let me clean up. Just… let me do my part, okay?" Asami pleaded.

The hint of desperation in her voice rang in Korra's head. She silently considered the older woman, noticing the slight wrinkle in the corner of her eyes and the growing streak of silver in her hair - subtle reminders that barring some freak accident, Korra was almost certain to outlive the woman she loved. She nodded slowly and handed over the pads. "Alright. But only on the condition that you let me take a look and heal you before we go get dinner."

"Deal." Asami took the pads and went about her business. "See you in the shower in a few minutes," she said as Korra walked away.

By the time they were standing in the shower - a wonderful walk-in shower of Asami's own brilliant design - even Korra was looking forward to feeling the water soothe the tightness in her shoulders. With a quick flick of the wrist and some slight adjustment to a couple of knobs, water came pouring out of the circle of shower heads like a summer rain. Steam quickly began to obscure the ocean blue tiles from view. She shed her clothes and gleefully ducked under the scalding spray. Asami stepped in behind her and Korra took the opportunity to blatantly stare.

"Don't mind me," she said. "Just checking out the scenery."

Asami laughed. "Don't you ever grow tired of using those lines?" she asked.

Korra watched the water race down pale skin pulled taut over firm muscles and enticing curves. The sight stirred something in her and she smiled mischievously as she pretended to mull over the question. "Hmm… Nope!"

"Not even after _all_ this time?" Asami closed the gap between them and draped her arms around Korra's shoulders.

The implied question was there. _Even after I've started to go grey and can't always keep up like I did when we were young and wild?_

Korra tilted her head and claimed Asami's lips with her own. "Nope."

"Will you ever? I mean, you have to come up with new lines _someday_."

_Will you grow tired of me one day? Will you ever decide to move on and find someone else? Someone younger and prettier?_

Korra pulled Asami closer. "Definitely not," she murmured, biting back a moan as she felt Asami's breasts against hers. "Never."

Asami might've been crying. She might not. Korra couldn't tell. All she knew was how good it felt to have Asami in her arms, her tongue in her mouth, and her nails on her shoulders. Korra backed her up against the tiled wall and rained kisses upon Asami's long, slender neck. Hands moved, gripping, groping, petting. Elegant fingers stroked one of Korra's breasts and brushed teasingly against her nipple. Korra groaned and slid a thigh between her knees. She smiled triumphantly against Asami's mouth as the engineer arched against her. The whimper that fell out of her mouth was almost Korra's undoing. She continued her assault until the world flipped around.

Korra wasn't sure exactly how or when, but she must've let her guard down because now their positions were reversed. Now it was the non-bender who was doing the pinning and assaulting. Now it was Korra's turn to whimper. Her heart raced as Asami's fingers traced lazy, wandering circles over her stomach, side, and thighs. She had just enough awareness to marvel at the contrast of their skin - pale and smooth against dark and scarred. Asami's fingers finally found their mark and Korra let her head fall back against the tile with a thud. The engineer buried her face in Korra's neck and whispered into her collarbone, explaining exactly what she wanted to do to the other woman. Promises of wild, scandalous, and deliciously debaucherous things.

Korra didn't last long. After so many years together, Asami knew exactly how to get the response she wanted. Shudders wracked the Avatar's body and she gasped silently, incapable of making any sound. All of the air had suddenly vanished from her lungs. She sagged against the wall and barely managed to remain standing. Asami chuckled and leaned in to kiss her as she struggled to come to her senses. Korra moved to return the favor, but Asami stopped her.

"Not now," she said. "We have to meet everyone for dinner, remember?"

Korra let out a noise that was half groan, half grunt, and one hundred percent indelicate frustration. "Can't we call and reschedule?"

Asami let out a deep, throaty laugh that sent a jolt down Korra's spine. "Jinora and Kai are in town. Mako finally has a night off. Bolin and Opal promised to drag Rohan away from meditation long enough to at least eat. Lin and Kya are free." Asami reached for the shampoo and began to rub the sweet-smelling stuff in Korra's hair. "Do you have _any_ idea how hard it is to get everyone in the same place at the same time? It's like waiting for the stars to align!"

Suds fell over Korra's brow and she snapped her eyes shut. "So that's a no?" she asked.

"Definitely a no. Now move under the shower head so you can rinse."

Korra sighed and let Asami do her work. She loved the feel of Asami's fingers massaging her scalp and Asami seemed to enjoy playing with Korra's trademark shoulder-length hair, so there was no point in stopping her. They remained silent after that, taking turns passing the soap and ducking under the spray of hot water. Korra took a moment to check Asami for serious injuries and healed the bruise on her hip.

Within a few minutes, they were ready to dry off and get dressed. Asami turned off the water and reached for a towel. Korra used her waterbending to dry them off before Asami even had a chance to wrap the towel around her body.

"Cheater," the engineer accused with a playful grin.

Korra gave her a smug smirk and stepped forward. "Guilty as charged."

Asami shuffled off to find something to wear and Korra lingered in the bathroom. She leaned against the doorframe and watched Asami purse her lips and hum as she looked through an impressive array of dresses. Korra knew this would take her at least five minutes, maybe even ten, so she had plenty of time to stare. She liked to stare. Moments like this were a chance to try to commit to memory each smile and pout. Korra studied every curve, every wrinkle and gray hair. She never wanted to forget this. She never wanted to forget how Asami still left her feeling so damn breathless.

/

**A/N: And there you have it. I know it's a little bittersweet, but I think it's kinda important to acknowledge the fact that Korra may actually age more slowly than those around her and could possibly even outlive her friends and family. Aang and Roku died at 66 and 70, respectively, but you could argue that these were "unnatural" deaths. Kyoshi, on the other hand, died at the ripe ol' age of 230. So ya never know!**

**A/N: Like I mentioned with the previous chapter, I'm kinda writing this stuff on the fly and don't currently have the time to properly proofread anything. If you notice some glaring mistake, please let me know so I can go back and fix it. Thanks!**


	3. Carry

**DISCLAIMER: Korra and the rest of the Avatar franchise are not mine. 'Nuff said.**

**WARNING: This fic depicts an intimate relationship between two women. If that's something you can't quite handle, then I suggest you find something else to read.**

**Written for day 3 of Korrasami week. Prompt: Carry (me).**

Spoiler Warning: Contains spoilers up through the end of Book 3 and what little we know about Book 4. This fic takes place a few years after the series ends. Since we don't know how it's gonna end, I'm taking complete artistic license and making things up as I go along.

/

Asami woke up with a sniffle. She arrived to work with a sore throat. By the time her morning meeting with the labor union concluded, she had a full-blown fever. She wanted nothing more than to disappear under a heavy pile of blankets and sleep for at least twenty-four hours. Unfortunately, she still had work to do. Asami sank into her chair and skimmed over the stacks of papers and folders on her desk. There was the quarterly financial report to go through, the plans for opening a new factory in Zaofu, and an endless list of project proposals. None of it, she thought grimly, was going to read itself.

She reached over towards the small console at the top corner of her desk and pressed a white button. "Yin?"

Her secretary's voice came through with a slight crackle. "_Yes, Miss Sato?_"

"Can you bring up some tea?"

"_Absolutely, Miss Sato. Anything in particular?_"

"Something with mint," she said.

"_Right away, ma'am._"

Asami sighed and snatched the quarterly financial report from the top of the stack. Time to get started.

/

Her butler was waiting for her when she stepped out of her Satomobile. "Miss Sato," he said as she approached. "There's a message for you from Avatar Korra."

Asami shrugged out of her coat. "She won't be home for dinner?"

"I'm afraid not, ma'am." The butler took her coat and ushered her inside. "Is there anything else I can do for you?" he asked, raising a brow when she coughed.

"No, thank you."

"Very well."

Asami crossed the marble floor in the entry way and eagerly headed for her suite of rooms. Korra's message wasn't uncommon. Both of them had very busy work schedules and they rarely got to spend much time together during the work week. Although Asami accompanied Korra on her trips out of town whenever possible, she still had a company to run. Much of the business could run itself - she made certain of that when she chose to hire only the most capable managers and delegate all but the most important work. Even so, a long day at the office was sometimes unavoidable.

Korra, on the other hand, nearly always had a full plate. Her work didn't always take her away from Republic City. It wasn't always dangerous or physically demanding. It was, however, frequently exhausting. The ongoing conflict between city states the Earth Kingdom had been especially difficult and emotionally draining. There were times when Korra would simply come home, curl up against Asami, and cry as if hoping that all of her frustration would leave her body with her tears.

Asami closed the bedroom door behind her and felt a sense of relief wash over her. Maybe it was a good thing Korra would be coming home late. She felt horrible. Tired, stuffy, and cranky. The last thing she needed was to spend her entire evening helping her girlfriend decompress. Asami instantly felt guilty at the thought and concentrated on untying her boots.

After a hot bath and a light dinner, she gratefully slipped between the sheets of the bed and pulled the covers over her head. She barely had time to think about falling asleep when she awoke to the sound of her name.

"Asami, get up. You're going to be late!"

Asami groaned and tried to swat away the voice.

"Seriously, Asami. Are you okay?"

A cool hand pressed against her forehead and some impressive swearing filled the room. Asami finally opened her eyes and saw Korra standing next to her side of the bed. Her shoulder-length hair was wonderfully disheveled and her loose pajama pants and tank did nothing to hide the swell of the firm muscles and curves underneath. The sight of strong shoulders and a hint of cleavage were too much for Asami. She felt herself grin stupidly.

"You are _so_ sexy," she mumbled into her pillow.

Korra frowned and immediately pulled back the blankets to get a better look. "And you're sick," she said. "Now let me see."

Asami whined groped about for the blankets. Apparently satisfied with what she saw, Korra pulled the blankets up and tucked them tightly around Asami. She disappeared for a moment and returned with a bowl of water.

"Really, Korra. I'm fine. Only a little sick," she said when she saw the humorless look on Korra's face. "I can go to work. I'm just going to sleep in a bit."

"You're not going to work and you're not a little sick. You're a lot sick. You're burning up."

"Are you going to call a healer?" asked Asami.

Korra rolled her eyes. "Now I _know_ you're really sick. _I'm_ a healer, Asami."

"I knew that."

"Uh huh…"

The water rose out of the bowl and surrounded Korra's hands. It soon took on a blue glow and Korra began to move her right hand up and down Asami's body while the left hand remained above her forehead. The soothing sensation coaxed a soft moan from Asami and she felt less foggy-headed almost instantly. After a few minutes, Korra returned the water to the bowl and set it aside. Asami grew aware that Korra was staring at her with a mixture of concern and anger. The younger woman shook her head and stepped back from the bed before Asami had a chance to ask her why she was upset.

"I'll be right back," said Korra.

Asami watched her disappear and assessed her situation. She felt fine. Wonderful, in fact. She was still a little tired and definitely hungry, but she felt much better than she had all week. The bedside clock ticked away gleefully and Asami noted that she could still make her morning appointment and lunch meeting if she left the house within the next half hour. When Korra came in, Asami was already half dressed and trying desperately to pull back her hair into a bun that looked at least _somewhat_ professional.

Korra set the tray she was carrying on a bedside table and crossed her arms. "What do you think you're doing?"

"What does it look like?"

"It looks like you need to take off that skirt and get back into bed."

Asami bit back a suggestive retort when she glanced over and found an angry Avatar staring at her. "What gives, Korra? I have meetings to prepare for. I'm already late enough as it is."

Korra strode over to her and stood with a hand on her hip. "And you're going to be more late. Now please get back into bed."

"Early spring is our busiest time of the year, Korra." Asami turned to look at her reflection in a mirror, trying to decide whether or not to give up on the bun. "You know that. After all, I - woop!"

Asami grabbed onto strong biceps and held on as she was scooped up and carried over to the bed. Korra gently lowered her and then perched on the edge of the bed. Her glower faded slightly. "Asami, why didn't you tell me you were sick?"

Asami looked at her hands. "I don't know. I didn't think much of it, I guess."

"You could've called or left a message. I was with the council all day."

"You don't need me bothering you when you're doing Avatar-y things."

Korra's eyes filled with concern and sadness. "Some Avatar-y things aren't nearly as important as this," she said. She brushed a piece of hair away from Asami's face. "You should let me take care of you more. I don't ever want to be surprised by something like this." Korra reached over to the tray she'd set down and picked up a small bowl of fruit.

"Breakfast in bed?" asked Asami.

Korra smiled and nodded. "Breakfast in bed. And after this, you're going to take a hot bath and I'm giving you a nice, long massage."

Asami sighed. "What about my meetings?"

"I… sorta took the liberty of calling your secretary and telling her to cancel all of your plans for today." Korra smiled sheepishly and offered Asami the bowl. "Eat up."

"And what are you going to do today?" asked Asami. She took the bowl and cradled it in her hands.

Korra climbed into bed and settled back against the pillows, scooting a little so that her leg touched Asami's. "I'm going to stay here, of course."

Asami popped a grape into her mouth. "But what about the council?"

"They'll get over it."

"Today's hearing with the representatives from Kyoshi Island was planned weeks ago. They'll be insulted if you say you're not going," Asami said with a frown. "You can't just back out of stuff like that."

"Actually, I can. And I did."

"Korra…"

"Asami, listen." Korra sat up and turned to face Asami. She took the other woman's pale hands in hers and looked her in the eye. "You take care of me all the time. You've always been there for me and you've sacrificed so much just to be with me." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "This shouldn't be so one-sided. I should take care of you more."

Asami shook her head. "My problems are minuscule compared to what you have to deal with. You carry the weight of the world on your shoulders."

"And you carry me!"

Silence hung between them for a moment and Asami saw the sincerity in the bright blue eyes looking back at her. She closed the gap between them and met Korra's lips with her own, tilting her head to deepen the kiss. A familiar feeling stirred in her and she hummed happily as Korra's hands cupped her face and held her close. Asami slowly broke the kiss and put the bowl back on its tray.

"Not hungry?" Korra pointed to the other small dishes on the tray. "I brought toast and yogurt, too. Just in case."

Asami smiled and leaned forward. "Oh, I'm hungry. But there's something else I want, first." She pushed the blushing Avatar back against the pillows. Breakfast was going to have to wait.

**A/N #1: So there ya have it. Day three of Korrasami week. Same story as before - please let me know if you see any major typos or mistakes.**

**A/N #2: As a side note, I wanted to say thanks to those of you who have left reviews and are now following the story. It's definitely encouraging to be the subject of so much positive feedback. So again, thank you.**


	4. Change

**DISCLAIMER: Korra and the rest of the Avatar franchise are not mine. 'Nuff said.**

**WARNING: This fic depicts an intimate relationship between two women. If that's something you can't quite handle, then I suggest you find something else to read.**

**Written for day 4 of Korrasami week. Prompt: Change.**

Spoiler Warning: Contains spoilers up through the beginning of Book 3. Takes place before the gang's arrival in Zaofu.

/

Asami wasn't sure when things began to change between them. She knew it was sometime right around Harmonic Convergence, but she couldn't pinpoint the exact time. She suspected that if the shift in her affections hadn't begun before she kissed Mako, the gears were most certainly in motion by the end of the day. Asami certainly felt guilty and more than a little ashamed at her actions. There was something else about that kiss that didn't feel quite right. Something that had nothing to do with Mako and everything to do with Korra.

Asami spent a great deal of time with Korra in the weeks after harmonic convergence. She was unexpectedly comfortable and relaxed around Korra. It became more and more common for them to make plans that did not include the boys. Asami soon found herself leaving work so she could help Korra navigate city politics, deal with the issue of the vines that still covered half of Republic City, or just sit together and talk - any excuse, really, to be with her.

The reason for this growing attachment was obvious to her. Asami wasn't an idiot, nor was she inexperienced. She knew exactly what was going on. What she didn't know was whether or not anyone else had noticed. If they hadn't already, then it was only a matter of time. Perhaps that's why it was unsurprising when Lin finally said something about it.

Asami was sitting by herself when the chief of police approached her. The brothers had already shuffled off to bed, leaving Korra and Asami in the lounge while Lin sat in a distant corner, glancing up from her book once in a while to look at the girls. They ignored Lin and chatted for a while. Asami thought Korra was leaning forward a little more than usual and once she even thought she caught her staring in that more-than-just-friends way. She would have written it off as simply wishful thinking on her part if not for the tone in Korra's voice said goodnight, or the way her arms pulled Asami close for a hug that lasted just a little longer than necessary. Unspoken words passed between them.

_I'm so relieved that you're safe._

_I'm glad you weren't hurt._

_Thank you for being here._

_You mean more to me than you know._

When Korra finally broke the hug, she gave Lin a brief wave and left the room. Asami watched her leave and settled back on the couch. She let her thoughts wander and had almost forgotten she wasn't completely alone.

"I hope you know what you're doing," Lin said with a hard voice.

Asami's head snapped up and her eyes narrowed. She crossed her arms defensively and refused to flinch under Lin's steely gaze. "I'm not sure I know what you mean."

Lin kept her trapped in a judgmental glare for a few more moments before she sighed and relaxed. She sat down across from Asami and leaned forward to rest her elbows on her knees. "I'm pretty sure you do, kid. You're smart and I'm no fool, so let's not play dumb," she said.

"I'm not… Korra and I…" Asami trailed off, suddenly unsure what to say. She paused for a moment and collected her thoughts. "You have nothing to worry about, Chief Bei Fong," she said with more calm than she felt.

"I'm not so sure." Lin studied the young engineer and her expression softened. "Normally, I wouldn't say anything. It's not my business. But I'm here to protect the Avatar, and the kid already has a lot on her plate, _especially_ with Zaheer on the loose. She doesn't need you to make it any more complicated. Not right now. I hope you understand."

Asami nodded slowly. "I know."

An uncomfortable silence fell between them. Lin appeared ready to say something else, then changed her mind. Asami waited a few more moments before standing up. She had taken only a few steps toward the hall before Lin finally figured out what she wanted to say.

"Believe it or not, I've been there," she said.

Asami stopped and looked at the metalbender in confusion. "What?"

Lin looked away and pretended to study the view outside the airship's window. "I… had to walk away from someone. He had a certain path to follow and I knew I couldn't be part of it. I began to distance myself in the hope that he would find someone else. Someone who could follow him down that path. And he did."

Curiosity crept into Asami's mind. She took a step back towards the couch. "It was Tenzin, wasn't it?" she asked. "You let him go."

"Not as gracefully as I should have, but yes."

"But I don't quite understand. Why?"

Lin looked everywhere except at Asami, as if pretending to talk to an empty room would be less difficult. Eventually, she found her voice. "I can't have children."

"Oh."

"Tenzin was the only airbender. It was his duty to carry on Aang's legacy. I couldn't get in the way of something like that. I didn't distance myself because I stopped loving him." Lin finally met Asami's gaze. "I did it because I loved him."

The words continued to echo in Asami's ears as the chief of police pushed herself out of her chair and left the room without saying anything else. Something wet rolled down her cheeks and she realized she had been crying. She quickly turned and headed down the hallway towards her room, silently praying that no one would see her like this.

No such luck.

Korra stepped out of the bathroom right as she reached the door to her room. Even in the dimly lit hall, Korra could tell something was wrong. "Asami? What's the matter?" she asked.

Asami knew she couldn't hide the tears or the mascara running down her cheeks. A choked sob escaped her throat. "I'm sorry," she said.

"Sorry for what?" Korra shook her head. "You know what? Never mind. Let's get you cleaned up." She reached out and grabbed Asami's arm. She led her into the bathroom and closed the door behind her.

Asami let Korra try to wash the mascara off her face. She let out a soft giggle when Korra grew frustrated with her lack of progress. "Here, I can do it," she said.

Korra stepped aside and leaned against the wall. Asami felt her eyes on her as she bent over the sink. When she finally finished, she took the towel Korra offered and dried her face, trying not to look as miserable as she felt. She reached for the door and made a beeline for her room. She said nothing when Korra followed and closed the door behind her.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?" Korra asked. She took a step forward when she received no answer and took Asami's hand in her own. "You don't have to tell me, but if you want to…"

Asami looked at the calloused hand that held hers. It felt so warm and reassuring. It was the kind of feeling she missed. "Everything is changing. Between us," she said softly. "But I don't know what to do," she added.

There wasn't nearly as much shock or puzzlement in Korra's dark blue eyes as Asami had expected to see. Instead, there was a fierce protectiveness. Soft lips pressed against her own before she had a chance to react. She felt strong arms wrap around her and she reflexively melted into the embrace. Asami found herself pinned against the wall. She let her head fall back as Korra covered her neck with kisses and moaned when she nibbled on her earlobe. She did not return to her senses until a hand brushed against her breast.

"Wait," she gasped. "Korra, please stop. We can't."

Korra froze. She pulled away, clearly embarrassed by her own eagerness. "I'm sorry, Asami. I thought…"

Asami reached out and grabbed Korra's hands. "No, I meant… It's just that there's so much going on right now. Between the airbenders and Zaheer - not to mention tearing down the barriers between our world and the spirit world - you have _a lot_ to deal with. The last thing you need is someone like me distracting you from all of that."

There were several responses Asami expected, but laughter was not one of them. Korra cupped her face and kissed her deeply. "Asami, don't you get it?" she murmured against her lips. "You're already a distraction."

"But - "

"And never acting on these feelings - always wondering 'what if' and 'maybe' - _that_ would be far more distracting than anything else you can throw my way. So I don't know about you, but this is a distraction I'd be happy to have." Korra ran her hands down Asami's sides and let them rest on her hips. "Now, will you let _me_ distract _you_ for a little while?"

It wasn't until later, when she woke up to the sight of the younger woman sleeping next to her, that Asami decided change was a good thing.

**A/N: Sorry for the late post. Major fail, I know. Between work and school, life can get pretty busy. I'll just have to try to make sure the next one is good enough to make up for it.**


	5. Home

**DISCLAIMER: Korra and the rest of the Avatar franchise are not mine. 'Nuff said.**

**SPOILER CHECK: **If you're not up to date on your LoK, then you might not want to read this (or anything I write, really).

**A/N: **Okay, I know Korrasami Week was forever ago (almost a month at this point). I got pretty wrapped up in school and work stuff and just couldn't keep up with a story-a-day schedule. So with that said, here's what gonna happen with this collection of one-shots:

(1) I'm going to finish all of the original prompts.

(2) When that's done, I'm going to start writing one-shots based on one-word prompt suggestions. Go ahead and start thinking of stuff. I can't make any promises, but I'll try to post at least twice a week.

Alright. Enough of that. Let's get down to business. This installment was written right after the release of Book 4, Chapter 2 and is canon at least up to that point. Everything else is pretty much pulled out of my butt. But whatever.

**Korrasami Week 2014, Day 5: Home**

**/**

Korra closed her eyes, let her head fall back, and sucked in a deep breath of ocean air. Most people thought all beaches smelled the same, but Korra knew they were wrong. Each one was different. Like fingerprints. The air outside her childhood home carried undertones of dung from the penguin colony near the cliffs and was so cold it smelled _sharp_. Yue Bay was dominated by the scent of humanity - fish waiting to be shipped inland, the taint of industry, and only the slightest hint of salt. Even Kyoshi Island had its on distinct smell. But no matter where she went or what she found, the ocean somehow always reminded her of home.

Korra dug her toes into black sand and took another breath. Seaweed. Encroaching monsoon rains. A flower found only on the southernmost island of the Fire Nation. She smiled, cataloguing this new "fingerprint." Asami always teased her, saying Korra's little habit must be an Avatar thing. Korra suspected it had something to do with being stuck in a wheelchair for months with nothing to do but watch, listen, and smell the world around her. If nothing else, at least she was able to walk away from that wheelchair with a heightened sense of awareness and a greater appreciation for the subtle side of nature. It had taken several years, but Korra finally learned to look back on that time and recognize some of the good that came from that horrible experience.

The sound of sand crunching underfoot pulled Korra from her reverie. She turned to see one of the Fire Nation priests heading in her direction and realized she was probably late for something. Not for the first time that week, she groaned and wished Asami was with her. Clever, organized Asami who remembered every meeting and negotiation, never forgot a name or a face, and always seemed to know each regionally specific courtesy and custom (something Korra always struggled with). Korra knew their occasional separations couldn't be helped, but that didn't make things any easier.

"Pardon me, Avatar Korra." The priest punctuated his devotion to duty with an excessively low bow.

Korra casually bowed in return, which seemed to catch the priest off guard. She vaguely remembered Tenzin lecturing her on the priests' obsession with formalities at the temple that housed Avatar Roku's shrine. Oh well. She never did formal very well anyway. "Yes? Am I needed somewhere?" she asked.

"No, Avatar Korra. You have an invitation from Lord Zuko. He will be having tea in the temple gardens within the hour and would like you to join him," he said. The priest eyed her bare feet, torn pants, and thin, sleeveless shirt. "I can have a shower and fresh robes prepared for you if you wish."

Korra glanced down at her clothes. They weren't fancy, but they were clean and comfortable. "Nah, I'm good. Thank you though. Please tell Lord Zuko that I will be with him shortly."

"As you wish, Avatar Korra." The priest repeated his bow and retreated back to the temple that was partially hidden by the dense tree line.

Korra sighed and took one last look at the ocean before retracing her footprints in the sand. The past week had been a flurry of negotiations and diplomatic visits. Peace and quiet were in short supply and she was relieved to finally have some time to herself, but there was a part of her that wished she wasn't alone. She missed Asami even more than usual. The engineer was supposed to come with her on this trip so they could turn it into a mini-vacation. Unfortunately, there had been some unexpected complications during negotiations with a distributor in Omashu and Asami had to stay behind in Republic City. It was too bad. Korra knew she would have enjoyed exploring this unique island.

The sound of crashing waves soon faded into the background and were gradually replaced by the hustle and bustle of temple life. Korra climbed the steps leading to the enclosed gardens, sidestepping to avoid a young priest who blindly stumbled along while carrying a precariously balanced stack of scrolls. She walked down the stone path that led to Zuko's favorite spot - the vine-covered gazebo next to a small pond. Voices drifted over the trimmed foliage and Korra realized Zuko wasn't alone. She paused and silently prayed that this wasn't another social call from the local magistrate. Just as she considered turning back, her ears picked up a familiar laugh. She hurried around the plants that blocked her view and came to a dead halt. Korra blinked to make sure she wasn't imagining things.

"Asami?"

Vibrant emerald eyes turned on her and Korra's heart stopped. "Surprise," said Asami.

Zuko cleared his throat and stood. "Well then," he said. "They haven't brought out the tea yet. I suppose I'll just go see what's taking them so long."

Korra gave him the briefest of nods before moving in to envelop Asami in her arms. She felt a giggle against her lips as she kissed the older woman and Korra smiled in return. "What are you doing here?" she asked when she finally pulled back.

"The distributor took some convincing, but we finally got a deal worked out. I thought I'd fly out here to join you and see if there was any way we could salvage our little vacation," she said.

"When did you get here? I never saw the airship come in."

Asami grinned mischievously. "Just a couple of hours ago. We landed on the main island this morning and took the first ferry going out."

"I'm so glad you're here. I was beginning to feel homesick," said Korra.

Asami laughed and stroked Korra's back as buried her face in Asami's hair and breathed in her scent. Jasmine, soap, and that undefinable _something_ that was distinctly Asami. Korra smiled.

It was the smell of home.


	6. Road Trip

**DISCLAIMER: Korra and the rest of the Avatar franchise are not mine. 'Nuff said.**

**WARNING: This fic depicts an unbearable amount of flirting between two women. If that's something you can't quite handle, then I suggest you find something else to read.**

**Written for day 6 of Korrasami week. Prompt: Road Trip.**

Spoiler Warning: Contains spoilers up through Book 2. Takes place during the gap between Books 2 and 3. This one is more fluff and angsty buildup than anything else.

/

"Well, I think we're done here," said Korra. She turned to the union representatives who had requested the meeting. "Thank you for asking me to be here today. I'm glad we were able to reach an agreement."

She pushed away from the table, stood, and nodded respectfully to the small gathering of Republic City's most influential politicians and merchants. The people before her represented a wide swath of the city's population - benders and non-benders from all over the world who made up an eclectic mix of immigrants and locals. It made for a rich cultural environment, but it also meant that tensions often ran high. Thankfully, this particular meeting had gone far more smoothly than expected and hadn't stolen too much of her day. All she had to do was try not to look too impatient as the room erupted into a cacophony of voices and nearly half the room rushed to request a private audience with her. Korra groaned inwardly. If she could make it through the next half hour without losing her temper, she deserved a damn medal.

The CEO of Cabbage Corp. quickly managed to corner her and Korra was beginning to doubt her ability to keep her frustrations in check. He seemed determined to let her know that he was unhappy with the results of the negotiations with the unions, which probably wasn't helped by the fact that vines were still growing right in the middle of his manufacturing plant. She rolled her eyes and shifted her weight from one foot to the other, resisting the urge to simply walk away. It wasn't like she'd given up. She just didn't know how to get rid of the vines, and she was beginning to doubt she could. A flash of dark colors and long, lean figure caught her eye. Korra sighed in relief as Asami swooped in and looped her arm through hers.

"I'm so sorry to interrupt," Asami said in a convincingly innocent voice, "I'm going to have to steal the Avatar from you." The sour-faced man huffed and Asami continued: "Avatar Korra and I have a lunch meeting scheduled to begin in a few minutes."

Puzzled, Korra raised an eyebrow before catching on to what Asami was trying to do. "Oh, yeah. I'm so sorry. I forgot all about that!"

Asami let her hand rest casually on Korra's arm. "It's no worry. You are very busy, after all." She turned to her business competitor and bowed slightly. "Again, I'm so sorry to interrupt. Thank you for being so understanding."

To Korra's amazement, the old man wasn't nearly as upset as she expected him to be. He sighed in resignation and waved dismissively. "Go on, then," he said.

The two young women walked away before anyone had a chance to realize they were leaving. They quickly hurried outside and down the conference hall's steps to Asami's waiting Satomobile. Within minutes, they were zipping down the street and away from the building, laughing the whole way.

"Oh, man!" Korra chuckled and slapped her knee. "You sure know how to turn on the charm. I think he would've let you buy half his company if you'd asked! Anything for a pretty face, right?"

Asami blushed. "Desperate times call for desperate measures. You looked like you were ready to knock his head off his shoulders. I thought it best to leave before that happened."

Korra sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. "Was it that obvious?"

The engineer shrugged. "You're not very good at hiding things. You're an open book," she said. "But if it's any consolation, I think it's kind of refreshing."

"What do you mean?"

"Most people who get wrapped up in politics and business are only successful because they're good at hiding their true intentions and manipulating other people."

"So the fact that I lose my temper and don't know how to keep my mouth shut is actually a good thing?" Korra asked incredulously.

Asami laughed. "Well, when you put it that way, no." They reached a stoplight and she risked a glance over at Korra. "But it _is_ nice to see someone who brings some honesty to the table and isn't always looking for a profit. Besides, you've gotten a lot better at dealing with this stuff than you think. You'll be talking people out of wars and leading peace negotiations in no time."

That brought a redness to Korra's cheeks. She knew she still had a lot to learn when it came to politics and soothing rocky relations, but hearing Asami voice such confidence in her felt like the biggest compliment she'd gotten in weeks. "Thanks," she said, feeling uncharacteristically shy.

The sounds and smells of the docks grew nearer and Asami slowed the Satomobile as she steered it around a corner. Ships, water, and the nearby Air Temple Island came into view. Asami parked the Satomobile under a lamp post. Korra reached for the door, hesitating when she realized Asami was watching her with concern.

"Uh… something wrong, Asami?"

Asami's eyes flicked away and she shook her head. "Not really. I guess it just occurred to me that you've had a lot on your plate recently and I don't think I've seen you slow down at all since you opened the spirit portal."

"I've got a lot to do," said Korra.

"Hm. Well, what do you have planned for tomorrow? Do you think you'll be free tomorrow afternoon?"

Korra looked across the bay to Air Temple Island and thought about her training. Tenzin probably wouldn't mind it if she took the afternoon off since he could use a break, too. "Maybe?" She glanced back at Asami. "Yeah, I guess so." She saw the way Asami's face lit up and felt her heart beat a little bit faster. "What did you have in mind?"

"I don't know," Asami confessed with a smile. "I hadn't thought that far. I guess it'll have to be a surprise."

A sense of anticipation shot through Korra and she swallowed hard. "Alright then. What time?"

"Two o'clock sound good? I can pick you up here at the docks."

"Sure."

Asami flashed her a brilliant grin and Korra couldn't help but smile in return. She hopped out, waved good bye, and watched Asami's Satomobile disappear down the street. The young Avatar remained on the docks for a few moments to collect herself. Korra recognized the thoughts she was having - the desire to make someone else laugh, the overwhelming happiness that comes with the slightest compliment, the disappointment of separation. They were familiar. They were the hallmarks of a growing feeling of attraction.

/

Korra spent most of the morning stealing glances at the clock. When she wasn't watching the clock, she was busy trying to sort out her feelings. What if Asami didn't feel the same way? What if she told her and it ruined their friendship? Maybe she would think Korra was just lonely and looking for a replacement for Mako. Maybe _she_ still has feelings for _him_.

Doubts and concerns pummeled Korra and she could feel her usual confidence eroding away. She was a nervous wreck by the time she reached the docks. Asami wasn't there yet, so Korra took the opportunity to try to calm down. She focused on her breathing and briefly thought that maybe Tenzin's meditation techniques would finally come in handy for something other than trying to get in touch with her spiritual side. Her nerves had only just calmed down when a Satomobile rounded the corner and drifted to a stop right in front of her.

"Nice moves," said Korra.

Asami flipped her hair out of her eyes. "I try," she said jokingly.

Korra laughed and hopped into the passenger seat. She tried not to notice the way Asami's hand smoothly moved back and forth between the steering wheel and the gear shift, or the way she managed to drive in a way that actually seemed _graceful_. "So, where are you taking me?" she asked as she buckled her seatbelt.

"I figured we could both use some fresh air, so I thought we might leave town and take a little road trip. There's a nice lake about an hour from here." Asami pointed to the mountains on the southeast edge of the city. "Out that way."

"An hour, huh? Sounds like a long way to go just for a lake. Must be special," said Korra. She thought she saw a glint of something wistful in Asami's eyes, but it was gone before Korra could be sure.

"You'll just have to wait and see."

"And what am I going to do while I sit here and wait?" Korra asked with mock frustration.

Asami smiled. "I guess you're going to have to entertain me. I'm sure you'll think of something."

Korra coughed and fought the blush creeping up her cheeks. "I'll see what I can do."

/

The lake itself was nice, but not very impressive. The water was clean and clear, but not remarkably so. Only a few willows and tall grasses filled the gap between the tree line and the water's edge. Birds sang an off-beat warbled tune and a fish jumped somewhere off the distance. It was, Korra decided, a totally normal lake that was indistinguishable from the hundreds of other lakes she'd seen. Still, it was nice to be out of the city. She toed a small rock and waited for Asami to open the trunk.

Asami pulled a couple of blankets and a box out of the trunk and passed them off to Korra, who couldn't help but watch when she bent over to grab one last box. The engineer tucked the small box under one arm and used the other to close the trunk. She turned to Korra. "You got all that?" she asked.

Korra peeked around the load in her arms and nodded. "Sure. No problem."

Mindful of rocks, branches, and anything else that might send her sprawling on the ground, Korra carefully followed Asami to a single willow tree that leaned out over the lake. Asami placed her own box on the ground and reached for the blankets. She flicked her wrists and shook them out, spreading them on the ground. She then began to remove small packages from the boxes. Kebabs, dumplings, cheese, fruit, and even cake.

Korra's stomach grumbled and her mouth began to water. "Asami," she said, "you are amazing."

Asami smiled and grabbed a kebab. "I know you get bored with the island's vegetarian menu, so I thought we could celebrate our afternoon of freedom with some kebabs from Republic City's finest street vendors."

"You are my hero." Korra said through a mouthful of roasted meat. She hummed her appreciation, earning a laugh from the older woman.

"High praise, coming from the Avatar," said Asami. "If I had known it was this easy to win you over, I would've taken you to Kwong's a long time ago. They have this amazing firebending barbecue special twice a month."

Korra opened her mouth to say something she knew would be clever and maybe even get another laugh out of Asami, but she was rudely interrupted by the sound of her own gurgling stomach. Thankfully, that _did_ earn her a laugh. Korra fought to keep a straight face and feigned indignation. "What? I'm a growing Avatar. I need food."

"Growing, huh?" Asami pretended to size her up. "I don't know, Korra. I think this might be as tall as you're going to get."

Korra crossed her arms and huffed. "I am _not_ short."

"I said no such thing," Asami said, holding up her hands. When she saw Korra relax, she added, "But you kinda are."

The younger woman waved her arms, gesturing at Asami. "Only compared to you. You and your six-foot long legs that just go on forever!" she exclaimed.

Asami rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. Like that really matters, Korra. You're not really short. You're pretty close to average, actually. And you're so… proportionate." A blush raced across her cheeks and she looked down at her feet.

Korra raised an eyebrow. She cleared her throat and ripped her eyes away to study the scenery. "So," she began, "what exactly is this place?"

"I don't know, to be honest. I'm sure the lake has a name, but we always just called it 'our lake.'"

"We?"

"My parents and I. We used to come here on the weekends when I was little. Future Industries was just beginning to take off, so we weren't rich yet. We couldn't afford fancy weekend getaways or anything, so we would come here and have a picnic. But I haven't been here in a long time." Asami played with the corner of a blanket and looked around. "I haven't been here in years, actually. I wasn't totally sure I'd remember how to find it."

Korra watched sadness creep into Asami's eyes. "When was the last time you were out here?"

"A few months after my mom died. Dad and I drove up from the city, but we didn't stay long. I think it was too hard for him, so we never came back." Asami's shoulders sagged and tears threatened to spill down her cheeks. "I'm sorry. I thought coming here would be a good idea because I remembered how much fun it was. I didn't think I'd end up ruining the mood with some sob-story," she said.

"Hey, it's okay," said Korra. She reached out and gave Asami's hand a reassuring squeeze. "If there's one thing I've learned, it's that sometimes you just have to let it out."

And with that, Asami broke. The kebabs sat forgotten as Korra gathered Asami in her arms and let her cry into her neck. Korra could almost feel the memories that poured out with her tears: The loss of a loving mother. The anguish of an angry father and the pain of betrayal. The emptiness of having everything money could buy and no one to share it with.

Korra wasn't sure how long they stayed like that. It could have been minutes or hours for all she cared. She used firebending to warm her hands and rubbed Asami's back in a gentle, circular motion. Neither of them moved even when she finally fell silent. Eventually, Asami sat back just enough to cover her face with her hands, but Korra didn't let go.

"I'm sorry," Asami mumbled. "This is so embarrassing."

Korra carefully took Asami's wrists - such small wrists! - and pulled her hands from her face. Asami sat there, red-cheeked and puffy-eyed, as if waiting for Korra to say something. The younger woman remained silent. She didn't know what to say, so she let her hands do the talking. She took Asami's face in her own hands and wiped tear stains and makeup smudges with her thumbs. A piece of hair had fallen free of its clip and Korra reverently tucked it behind Asami's ear.

When Korra did finally speak, she took Asami's hands in her own and looked at the elegant fingers curled in her palm. "How long has it been since you let yourself cry like that?"

"I don't know. I guess… maybe the night I found out my dad was an Equalist," said Asami.

Korra nodded. "So it's been a long time," she said. "You've been through a lot since then. I can't pretend to know what it's like to have experienced everything you have, but I do know what it's like to feel betrayed, lost, and alone. And I can tell you that the betrayal will heal, you'll find your way, and you're never really alone."

Asami let herself be pulled back into another hug. She curled up against Korra and closed her eyes with a sigh. "Thanks, Korra."

"Don't worry about it."

The kebabs were long gone by the time the sun began to sink below the horizon. The two laughed and talked, sharing childhood stories and making wild predictions about the future. Korra insisted they would have to come back to the lake at least once a month to have a "girls' day out" and Asami agreed. When dusk colors painted the sky and Asami continued to open up, Korra felt herself slipping. When Asami's eyes brightened with the first genuine smile she'd smiled in months, Korra could hear her own heart gallop. It was then that Korra knew she was falling in love.

As night fell and Asami began to clean up their mess, Korra made a silent oath. She swore that she would do whatever she could ensure Asami's happiness, even if that meant waiting to act on her own feelings. She would give Asami whatever she needed, and what she needed most was friendship, not romance. Romance could wait. And so Korra helped her pack and carried everything back to Asami's Satomobile. She spent the entire ride back to Republic City making Asami laugh, doing whatever she could to let Asami know she would always be there for her - all in the name of friendship.

When they reached the docks, Asami wrapped her arms around her in a bone-crushing hug. Korra thought she detected just a hint of blush dusting the engineer's cheeks and allowed herself a small smile. One day, after all this business with the vines was sorted out and Asami had time to heal, Korra would be there. She would take her back to that lake and tell her everything. But not until then. For once in her life, Korra would be patient.

Korra would wait.

/

**A/N: So there ya have it. Like I said, nothin' but angsty buildup. Imagining Korra deciding to wait is even worse when you think about the fact that Asami ends up having to wait three years just to see Korra.**

**Anyway, the next one won't be so angsty. I promise. I'll justify all this angst by giving the next one a much, much happier ending.**


	7. Sunrise, Sunset

**DISCLAIMER: Korra and the rest of the Avatar franchise are not mine. 'Nuff said.**

**Written for day 7 of Korrasami week. Prompt: Sunrise/Sunset. (I've taken liberties with this prompt and decided to take a slightly abstract approach to it. Sorry!)**

**A/N: This one is very bittersweet. I didn't want to write something so hopeful/depressing, but i couldn't let go of the idea once it took root in my head. I hate myself for this one. I almost didn't post it. Seriously. I apologize in advance and i swear that i'll write something more lighthearted next time.**

/

A decade was difficult to fathom when she was a little girl. As a teenager, twenty years seemed like a lifetime. At sixty-eight, a year felt like a day. This increasingly fast passage of time never really bothered Korra until the reality of it hit her where she was most vulnerable. It came rushing up out of nowhere and no amount of spiritual training or meditation could have shielded her from it. There was no time to prepare - no time to brace herself against the inevitable.

"Korra?" Jinora touched her shoulder. "Korra, it's time to go."

Korra dragged her gaze away from the window and stood, ignoring the way her right knee almost groaned in protest. She pulled on her coat and hesitated. "Just a moment," she said before walking over to a small chest of drawers on the other side of the room. She opened the top drawer, reached in, and pulled out a small box. Without looking at it, she stuffed the box into her pocket and looked at Jinora. "Alright. Let's go."

/

_"__Alright," Korra told her reflection. "Let's go."_

_"__Go where?" asked a small voice._

_Korra whipped around and saw Rohan standing in the doorway of her room. Noting that he was alone, she breathed a sigh of relief. She wasn't sure her nerves could handle Ikki or Meelo at the moment, but Rohan was more like his oldest sister than his other siblings. Korra always thought he must have been nature's way of apologizing to Pema and Tenzin for their two middle children. "I'm going out," she said. "I'm meeting someone for dinner."_

_The little boy rocked back on his heels. "Why do you look upset?"_

_Jinora suddenly appeared behind Rohan. "There you are. I hope you're not bothering Korra," she said._

_Korra waved a hand. "He's fine. Besides, I was just about to leave."_

_"__Oh. Alright." Jinora eyed her critically. "Are you okay?" she asked._

_"__Yep. Definitely," said Korra. "I am one hundred percent a-o-kay."_

_"__Really? Because you look like you're about to pass out."_

_Korra crossed her arms and slumped against the wall with a groan. "I'm supposed to meet Asami at Narook's in an hour."_

_Jinora's eyes lit up. "Wait, is this a date?"_

_"__Yeah, but… I don't know. I feel like I'm forgetting something," said Korra. "Maybe I'm just too nervous."_

_Jinora tapped her chin and pretended not to notice that Rohan mimicked her. She hummed for a moment, then held up one finger. "I've got it! Flowers."_

_"__Flowers?"_

_"__Yup. You can't just show up empty-handed. Besides, everyone likes flowers," Jinora declared._

_Korra frowned doubtfully. "Jinora," she said, "It's the middle of winter. There's at least an inch of snow on the ground."_

_"__Well, yeah. That's why you need to go find some snowdrops," said the young airbender._

_"__Snowdrops?"_

_Jinora excitedly grabbed her hand and dragged her outside. "Yes. Snowdrops. And I know just where to find them."_

/

Snow crunched underfoot as Korra followed Jinora down to the waiting boat. She breathed in the sharp winter air and knew that her inner waterbender should be rejoicing, but her face remained as impassive as the side of a mountain. Nestled in her arms was a small silver urn wrapped in silk. It was simple, yet elegant. She knew Asami would have approved.

/

_Korra sat alone at a wobbly wooden table and twirled the snowdrop in her hand. As promised, Jinora had taken her to the one spot on the island where the small, white flower grew. There were several peeking up through the snow, but only one had actually bloomed. There was no time to think of a backup plan, so Korra plucked the flower and raced across the bay to the city. Unfortunately, Korra had dropped it twice and stepped on it once in her haste to reach Narook's on time. She looked at the pathetic, mangled thing and regretfully jammed it into her pocket with a frown._

_"__Oh, my. I hope the thought of spending an evening with me isn't _that_ horrible."_

_Korra's head snapped up and her heart almost stopped. "Asami! No, uh, I wasn't thinking about you. I mean, I _was_ thinking about you, which is pretty normal I guess because I think about you a lot. Not in a weird way though…" She registered Asami's amused smile and shrank back into her chair. "I'm babbling, aren't I? I'll shut up now."_

_"__Yes, you're babbling," Asami said with a laugh as she sat down across from her. "But don't worry. It's actually kind of endearing."_

_Korra looked her up and down, her face split by a goofy grin. "You look great, by the way."_

_"__You don't look so bad yourself."_

_"__Well, uh. Thanks," said Korra. She coughed and looked around. "So, do you know what you're having?"_

_Asami gave her a sultry smile that would've rendered anyone speechless. "Oh, Korra. Do you really have to ask?"_

_Korra felt her face turn a burning shade of red. She knew Asami was confident, but she was still caught off guard by her forwardness. Apparently, Asami knew exactly how forward she was being because she merely laughed and winked at Korra. The young Avatar began to recover her own boldness and smirked. Two could play this game._

/

A murmur of low voices caught her attention and she finally noticed the collection of solemn faces. Mako leaned heavily on his cane while Kai stood nearby, along with Bolin, Opal, and their children and grandchildren. Ikki, Meelo, and Rohan positioned themselves near the stern of the boat, ready to lend a helping hand if the wind wasn't strong enough to move them along. It was a small crowd and that was just fine with Korra. It was better this way. With one last thought for what she was about to do, she used her airbending to board the boat and waited for the city to fade away behind her. It was time to say goodbye.

/

_The two women stumbled and giggled their way down the hall to Asami's bedroom. They collapsed on the bed in a tangle of limbs, hurried kisses, and fumbling hands. The engineer's assertiveness wasn't at all surprising, but it left Korra feeling shy and self-assured all at once. It was all she could do to keep from pinching herself to make sure this wasn't a dream. This was real. This was happening. _Finally_, she thought._

/

Korra removed the lid on the urn. She used her airbending to remove its contents and sent them flying out over the water. As she watched the ashes scatter and settle in the water, she gripped the boat's railing and struggled to remain on her feet. This was really happening.

The boat's other passengers watched in silence for several more minutes while the sun continued to sink on the horizon. Eventually, Bolin moved to turn the boat back towards the city. Jinora joined Korra at the handrail and put an arm around her shoulders. Korra reached into her pocket and withdrew the small box.

"It was our anniversary," Korra said tonelessly. "I never got the chance to give Asami her present."

Jinora gave Korra squeeze and blinked back her own tears. "You were with her that night, weren't you?" asked Jinora.

"Yes."

"She was happy, wasn't she?"

"I suppose so." Korra almost smiled at the memory of Asami's laughter. "Yes," she said with a slight nod.

"And you never stopped loving her?"

Korra gripped the box more tightly. "Not for one second."

"Then you gave her the greatest gift of all," the airbender whispered. Jinora pulled Korra into a hug and held on tightly as the most powerful person in the world collapsed into tears.

/

_Korra stretched lazily and smiled. Oh, yes. Asami was _very_ forward. Korra rolled onto her side and looked at the woman next to her._

_"__What are you smiling for?" asked Asami._

_"__Because."_

_Asami traced lazy circles on Korra's collarbone. "Just because?"_

_"__Yep." Korra leaned in to kiss her. "Also, I think you're pretty amazing."_

_The older woman laughed. "Amazing, huh?" She hooked a leg behind Korra's and scooted closer. "I'll take it."_

_Korra found herself sinking into another deep kiss. She buried her hands in thick, raven hair and let Asami push her onto her back. A moan slipped out of her mouth when Asami kissed the spot just below her ear and began to move against her. Both women froze when a rude gurgle suddenly interrupted them, sounding comically out of place in that symphony of sighs and moans. Asami propped herself on her elbows and looked down at Korra's stomach._

_"__Did that just happen?"_

_Korra grinned sheepishly and shrugged her shoulders. "What can I say? I'm hungry. You made me work up an appetite. Besides, we've been up all night and it's almost sunrise," she said, pointing to the early morning glow trickling in through the window. Her stomach growled again. "I don't suppose we could run downstairs for an early breakfast, could we?"_

_Asami swatted at her and swung her legs over the edge of the mattress. "I'll go get something. You stay here," she instructed. "I'll be right back."_

_"__Yes, ma'am. I'll stay behind," said Korra. She leaned back and watched Asami cross the room, almost as if parading her nudity. "The view is better from here anyway. Hey!" she sputtered as a pair of pants hit her in the face._

_"__Smartass," Asami said. She bent down and picked up Korra's coat to reach her own shirt underneath. As she did so, something small and white fell out of one of the coat's pockets. She picked it up. "What's this?" she asked, walking back to the bed._

_Korra recognized the snowdrop. "Oh, that. Sorry." She rubbed the back of her neck. "I wanted to bring you flowers, but I could only find the one and it kind of didn't survive the trip over from Air Temple Island."_

_Asami smiled softly and held it with a newfound reverence. "I think it's sweet," she said. "Thank you, Korra."_

_Korra raised an eyebrow, trying to detect any potential sarcasm in her voice. "But it's such a plain flower, and it's all crushed up."_

_"__You're right. It is crushed. You're wrong about one thing though. It's not plain. It's simple. Snowdrops are simple and elegant, and that makes them beautiful," said Asami. She bent her head and let her lips brush against Korra's. "They can't be anything but beautiful."_

/

Korra calmed down enough to catch her breath. Jinora loosened her hold on her friend but didn't entirely let go. With a sigh, Korra straightened her back and looked out over the water.

"I'm fine," she told Jinora. "Thank you."

Jinora recognized the tone as a polite dismissal. "I'll be with the kids if you need anything," she said. She stepped back and gave Korra some space.

Korra gradually recalled the box. She glanced down and ran a thumb over the carving on the lid, using both the texture of the wood and the bite of the winter wind to ground herself. The ashes had long since been swallowed by the bay and all trace of them was gone. There was just one more thing to do.

Reluctantly, Korra swallowed and opened the box. A snowdrop sat inside, waiting for her. She carefully pinched the stem between her forefinger and thumb, holding up flower against the setting sun. It had been fresh when she put it in the box. That was over a week ago. Now it was wilted, but the white petals still stood out against the backdrop of the bay's dark waters.

Korra tossed the snowdrop into the bay and watched it fade as the current swept it away.

_/_

**A/N: I hate myself so much right now.**


	8. Tradition

**Spoiler Warning: Takes place after Book 4 and may contain spoilers through all currently aired episodes (Book 4, Ch 4).**

**One-shot prompt: Tradition**

**/**

Korra had never seen such an assortment of rice cakes in her life. She stared at the rows on display in the glass case and gaped. At least half of them were types of rice cakes she hadn't even heard of before. She pinched the bridge of her nose with her forefinger and thumb. Maybe this was a mistake. "This is way more difficult that it should be," she grumbled.

Opal appeared next to her, moving so quietly she almost startled Korra. "What's the matter?"

"This," Korra said with a sweep of her arm. "I came in here just for some normal, old-fashioned rice cakes, but everything in here is so _weird_. I mean, look." She pointed at a neatly printed label beneath a row of unnaturally pink, palm-sized balls. "I can't even pronounce that!"

The young airbender laughed. "If it's any consolation, I grew up eating some pretty weird stuff and even _I'm_ not sure what that is."

"Well, well. I thought I heard a pretty lady's laughter." Bolin sidled up next to Opal. "Seems I was wrong, 'cause turns out it belonged to a gorgeous lady."

Opal rolled her eyes and blushed. "How much of your spare time do you spend thinking up those lines?"

Bolin puffed out his chest and rocked back on his heels. "Almost as much time as I spend practicing them," he said, flashing her his "mover star" smile. "Really though, what's taking so long? We're supposed to be back at the island in an hour. It's not going to be much of a surprise birthday party if we're not ready before Asami shows up."

"It's my fault," said Korra. "I don't know which kind to get."

"Hm. Well, why don't you go look over there?" he asked, pointing towards the opposite wall. "They have some more traditional types in that case on the far left."

Korra perked up. "Oh. Thanks, Bolin. I don't know how I missed that."

"Eh, you can thank me later. In the meantime, I'm just going to go wait outside. Looking at all of these rice cakes is making me hungry," said Bolin.

Opal grabbed his hand. "I'll come with you," she said with a smile.

Korra watched the couple leave the shop, grinning when she heard Opal mutter something about "alone time." The enormity of her task settled on her once more and she groaned. She headed over in the direction Bolin had pointed to and began to feel a little more hopeful when she spotted a case of rice cakes. The banner overhead read "old-fashioned," but Korra thought one that said "normal" might've been more appropriate.

The shop owner popped up behind the case. He beamed, clearly recognizing his customer. "Is there any way I can assist you, Avatar Korra?"

"I hope so." Korra scanned the rows. Her eyes quickly fell on some cakes covered in sesame seeds. Sweetened red bean rice cakes, according to the label underneath. Seemed normal enough. She pointed at them and looked back up at the shop owner. "Those," she said.

His eyes grew wide. "Those?"

"Uh, yeah." The man's surprise was confusing, but Korra wasn't about to waste any more time. "I'm going to need a box of them."

A bright smile spread across his face. "Alright, then. Who's the special lady?" he asked as he ducked behind the counter and began filling a small cardboard box.

Korra raised a brow. "They're for my friend, Asami."

The shop owner nodded gleefully and wrapped a wide, green and gold ribbon around the box. "_The_ Ms. Asami Sato? I knew it!"

"Yeah, her. How much is it?" asked Korra, reaching for the box.

"This one is on the house," he said. "Oh, I can't _wait_ to tell my Inara!"

Korra eyed him suspiciously. "Um, thank you."

He shook his head, sending his long mustache waving back and forth. "No, thank _you_. And if I may say so, I'm quite pleased you've come to us on this happy occasion!"

"Right, well, thanks again," said Korra, making a beeline for the door before things could get any weirder. She tucked the box in the crook of one arm and raised the other to shield her eyes from the sun. It took a moment for her to adjust to the brightness, but she could still spot Bolin and Opal in crowd. She picked her way to where they stood and sighed in relief when she finally reached them.

"Yeah, I know," said Bolin. "It's pretty crowded today, isn't it? Oooh, fancy box ya got there."

Opal looked at it and pursed her lips. "Uh, Korra? What exactly did you get?"

"The most normal looking rice cakes in the store. Why? Is something wrong?" she asked.

"No," Opal said after a moment of hesitation. She looped her arm through Bolin's and tugged him forward. "If we're done here, we should hurry up and get back to Air Temple Island."

"Sure," said Korra. A faint murmur caught her attention and she looked around, noting a couple of questioning faces. She glanced down at the box and frowned. Why were people acting weird? What was the big deal with these damn rice cakes?

/

"I don't get what's so special about these rice cakes," complained Korra. "Asami likes rice cakes, so I bought rice cakes. End of story!"

Bolin scratched his head. "I don't know, but that guy on the ferry sure seemed interested."

"Yeah, and so did the shop owner who sold me the darn things." Korra strode into the dining hall and nearly slammed the box on the nearest table, startling a nearby air acolyte.

"Maybe it's some kind of misunderstanding," Opal suggested. She looked at Bolin for help and found none.

Korra plopped down next to the table and dropped her chin into her hand. "What kind of misunderstanding? I don't get it."

"It's okay. Neither do I," said Bolin.

A side door slid open and Pema entered with Rohan in tow. "Oh, there you are," she said when she saw the small group. "Ikki said she saw a boat pull up to the dock. Looks like Asami is here a little early."

Bolin perked up. "Oooh, good. I'll go find Pabu. We'll have just enough time for one last dance rehearsal." He gave Opal a chaste peck on the cheek and nearly bolted for the door. "I'll be back in a few minutes. Don't start without me!" he called over his shoulder.

Korra sighed and leaned against the table. She noticed Pema staring at the box. "Oh, not you, too. Seriously, what's going on?"

Pema looked at Opal, then back to Korra. "Just out of curiosity, what's in that box?"

"Rice cakes."

"Yes, but what kind?" Pema asked.

"Some kind of sweet, red bean rice cake," said Korra. "Why?"

Pema's mouth opened in an "oh" and Opal nodded, apparently glad that someone else understood. "You know what? Never mind. I'm sure Asami will _love_ them."

/

Korra's frustration melted away as soon as Asami set foot on temple grounds. The unrestrained delight on her face was more than enough to make Korra forget all about the box of rice cakes. The airbending children assaulted her with hugs as soon as she set foot on temple grounds and Tenzin greeted her with a smile rather than a formal bow. Korra watched her expression change as the rest of the crowd came forward to wish her a happy birthday. Asami's smile grew wider as she returned each hug and greeting, and Korra found herself mirroring that smile. It didn't matter that she could tell Asami was only pretending to be surprised. Her happiness was genuine, and that's all she cared about.

"This is wonderful! Thank you," Asami said as they sat down to eat. She took a seat next to Korra and smiled. "But next time you want me to be surprised, don't send the invitation with Bolin."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" the earthbender sputtered. He threw a hand over his heart. "I'm hurt, Asami. Operation 'Surprise Party' was executed with the utmost discretion."

Mako rolled his eyes and leaned on the table. "I'm pretty sure that what she means," he began, "is that your definition of 'discretion' is a bit off. You have all the subtlety of a drunk hippomoose."

Bolin huffed. "Yeah? Well I didn't hear _you_ offer any suggestions when we started planning this thing."

"It's okay," Asami said, waving her hands. "Surprise or not, this is all very sweet. I mean it."

Pema immediately swooped in and Korra grinned, realizing the brothers' bickering must have triggered some innate maternal instinct to intervene. The nonbender gave both brothers a look meant to both calm and scold. "Well, the important thing is that we're all here to have a good time," she said in a practiced tone. "So, Mako, could you help me with the food? Some of those trays are pretty heavy. And Bolin, why don't you find something interesting to play on the phonograph?"

Korra snickered as both grown men grew red-faced and did exactly as they were told. Asami nudged her playfully and gave her hand a squeeze. The simple gesture was enough to make Korra's chest constrict and she hoped no one could see how it affected her.

"Really though. Thank you, Korra," said Asami.

"Uh, well, I only helped with the preparations." Korra nervously toyed with her belt.

Asami smiled softly. "That's not what I meant." She looked up as Mako and several airbenders stumbled into the room, their arms filled with trays of food, and turned back to Korra. "Can we talk later?" she asked, lowering her voice.

Korra fought the flutters in her stomach and nodded mutely. She had no idea what Asami wanted to talk about, but it was obviously something she wanted to discuss without an audience. Korra frowned and sipped at her tea. Worry continued to gnaw at her even after a bowl of steaming soup appeared before her. What was it? Couldn't she have at least dropped a hint? She stole glances at Asami as the evening wore on and noted at one point that the engineer seemed to have scooted a bit closer sometime during the meal. Korra shook her head, telling herself not to read too much into it. It wasn't until Bolin shouted her name that she realized she had been so preoccupied she'd missed half of the conversation going on around her.

"Hey, earth to Korra," he said.

Korra sat up with a start and tried to ignore Asami's concerned look. "Yeah?"

"Time for presents!"

"Oh, right," she said.

Korra reached under the table and grabbed the box she'd hidden under a spare cushion. She sat up and waited for everyone else to retrieve their presents. By the time all of the presents were on the table, Korra realized that more than a few pairs of eyes were trained on her - including Asami's. She watched the older woman's composure slip slightly as her cheeks turned pink and her gaze flicked back and forth between Korra and the box. Korra swallowed her irritation and thrust the box towards Asami.

Asami looked around the rom and hesitantly took the box with both hands. "Uh, Korra?"

"Rice cakes." Korra gestured at the box. "I wasn't sure what to get you, but then I remembered you like rice cakes, so…"

Understanding brightened Asami's eyes and she burst into laughter. She opened the box, peeked inside, and laughed even harder. "Oh, spirits. You have no idea, do you?" she asked.

Korra frowned and noticed that only Bolin and Mako seemed as confused as she felt. "Um… no?"

"Red bean rice cakes are the first gift given during a marriage proposal. It's an Earth Kingdom tradition," explained Asami.

"What?!" Korra squeaked. She turned an accusatory glare on Opal and Pema. "You knew?" she asked.

Bolin leaned forward and stuck out a hand. "Woah. Wait a second. I've never heard of this," he said. "What are you talking about?"

"It's a really old tradition from the southern region," said Opal. She tucked her hair behind her ear and looked apologetically at Korra. "Sorry. I didn't know where Asami's parents were from and it's not that common anymore, so I thought she might not know."

Asami put the box back on the table. "Dad's family was part of the first wave of Fire Nation colonists, but my mom grew up in a village just outside Omashu. She told me a lot about it when I was little. Before an engagement is made official, the bride's family receives three gifts: rice cakes, a bolt of silk, and incense. Then the family can decide whether or not they approve of the marriage. It's usually just a formality, but it's still taken very seriously." She smiled and tried not to giggle at Korra's discomfort. "It's okay. You didn't know. But you're right. I _do_ like rice cakes," she said, pulling the shorter woman into a hug. "Thank you, Korra."

Even though Asami seemed unperturbed by her cultural blunder, Korra's face continued to burn with embarrassment as she returned the hug. "You're welcome," Korra said.

/

Korra made her escape as soon as Asami finished opening her presents. Mako broke out a bottle of cactus juice and Tenzin announced that it was time for his three youngest children to go to bed. Using the resulting commotion as a smokescreen, Korra mumbled an excuse about going to the bathroom and slipped out the door. She strolled down the covered walkway until she reached the courtyard and hesitated. Korra perched on the edge of a rock next to one of the reflection ponds and felt herself relax as a breeze danced over the surface of the water. Just as she decided she really should get back to the party, a gentle voice broke the stillness of the night air and Korra nearly slipped off the rock.

"There you are."

Korra looked over her shoulder and saw Asami standing behind her. "Hey," she said. "Sorry. I just needed some fresh air."

Asami stepped closer. "Mind if I join you?" she asked, sitting when Korra shook her head. "Thanks."

The rock wasn't very large and Korra had to scoot a little to give Asami enough space. Even then, there was barely enough room and Korra's heart sped up when their thighs and hips touched. "So, what brings you out here?"

Asami raised a delicate eyebrow, then released an exasperated sigh. "You, of course. I've been meaning to talk to you about something, but I can never seem to get you alone."

Korra stiffened. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Nothing's wrong," Asami said reassuringly. She put a hand on Korra's forearm and smiled. She turned her head and looked away in a moment of sudden shyness. "I just wanted to say thank you. When I found out my dad was working with the Equalists, I thought I'd lost what little family I had left. I thought I was going to be alone, but I was wrong. You helped give me a new family. You, Mako, Bolin, and everyone else are all like family to me and I have you to thank for that. I recently realized I've never told you. I guess I was just afraid."

"Afraid of what?"

Asami took a deep breath. "I was afraid that I might be letting my gratitude influence my feelings for you. But I've had a lot of time to think about it and one thing has become very clear since you came back to Republic City."

Korra's heart sped up. "What's that?" she asked, struggling not to sound too hopeful even as long, graceful fingers reached out and interlaced with hers.

"I missed you, Korra. A lot."

Korra swallowed. "I missed you, too," she said.

Asami reached over with her free hand and brushed aside a piece of hair that fell across Korra's face. She allowed her fingertips linger against her cheek. "I don't know what I would do if you disappeared again," she whispered.

The words seemed to echo in Korra's ears. She let her eyes drift shut and turned her face into Asami's hand. Her brain registered the faint scent of perfume and the heat radiating from the other woman's body. "I'll do whatever I can to make sure you never have to find out," said Korra.

When Asami didn't move away, Korra opened her eyes and slid a hand up to the nape of her neck. Korra drew her close and watched Asami's lips part slightly. She quickly accepted the invitation and closed the gap between them, leaning into the kiss and growing more confident as Asami wrapped her arms around her shoulders. Korra held onto her with one hand and used the other to brace herself against the rock to avoid tumbling into the pond. They parted after only a few moments and Korra dropped her head to Asami's shoulder.

"Sorry about the rice cakes," Korra said.

Asami shook with laughter. She lifted Korra's chin so she could see her face. "Well, I do think it's a bit early for a marriage proposal," she teased. "But I'm okay with letting you ask me out on a date."

Korra leaned in for another kiss. "Sounds good to me." Korra smiled against her soft lips. "Happy birthday, Asami."


	9. Colorful

**WARNING: The following one-shot contains explicit content that may not be suitable for minors, members of the clergy, individuals who are allergic to non-heteronormative relationships, and my grandmother. (And Grandma, if you're reading this, i suppose it's time someone told you the truth: Yes, the fossil record is real, boobs are my kryptonite and no talk about hell-bound souls is going to change that, and how the heck did you find this anyway?!) Seriously though, this one's rough an' raunchy, and i'm almost embarrassed (hah - ****_almost)_****. You should turn back now if that's not your thing.**

**SPOILER ALERT: This fic was written after "Reunion" aired and may contain spoiler-y things up to that point. If you're not up to date on your ****_LoK…_**** well, you've been warned.**

**A/N: Okay. Finally getting around to updating this. I realized it's been a while since i've written anything naughty and decided to fix that, so those of you just looking for fluff will have to wait for another update.**

**Written for the prompt ****_colorful_**** and takes place shortly after the series ends.**

**/**

"What are you doing out here?"

The question echoed in ears that were tuned to the stillness of early morning hours. Asami jumped and tried to turn, but a pair of arms around her waist stopped her. She sank back into the warm embrace with a faint smile. Their relationship was still new enough that she was sometimes surprised by how natural it felt to be held this way. It was as if they'd been designed for one another. "You startled me," she said. "I didn't hear you."

"Sorry about that." Korra nuzzled the back of her neck and hummed. "You must've been pretty deep in thought. What's got you so focused this early in the morning?"

"Nothing. It's kind of silly, actually," said Asami.

"So? Silly is good. I like silly."

Asami giggled and squirmed. "Stop that. Your breath tickles."

"Oh yeah?" Korra tightened her grip and attacked Asami's neck with small puffs of air.

"Ah! Okay, fine!" Asami playfully elbowed Korra's ribs and shook her head at her girlfriend's exaggerated exclamation of pain. She turned her attention back to the treeless expanse before her. The plain was a gently rolling tapestry of rusty oranges, browns, and red, pockmarked by the occasional cold grey of boulders and even a few patches of green. A steely ribbon of whitish-blue water ran a meandering course through the swath of grasses and shrubs until it abruptly disappeared near the base of jagged, snow-covered mountains. The sunrise washed over it all as it climbed over the horizon, creating a sharp relief of light and shadow. "It's the color," she finally said answered in a soft voice.

Korra shifted a little to look over her shoulder. "Yeah. It's only like this for two or three months. It's buried under at least a few foot of snow for the rest of the year."

"I can't believe something like this exists in the South Pole. I always thought there was nothing but snow and ice down here," said Asami.

"Well, we're not really in the South Pole. We're right on the edge of Southern Water Tribe territory," Korra explained. "Technically, what you're looking at is the tundra."

A gust of wind swept across the plain and Asami shivered despite the warmth of her coat and Korra against her back. She stole a glance behind her and realized Korra was wearing only a base layer of furs instead of the long coat she had worn the night before. "How are you not freezing?" asked Asami.

Korra shrugged and grinned. "This is our version of summer. It's still a little chilly, but this is about as warm as it gets around here."

"If it's so beautiful and warm, why doesn't anyone live here?"

"People used to live here a long time ago, actually. There was a village somewhere near the base of those mountains and there used to be a port city on the other side before the 100 Year War. A trading route ran from the city, through a pass in the mountains, and out through the village." Korra pointed to a cluster of mountain peaks. "See the lopsided one to the left?"

Asami nodded. "What about it?"

"It's the reason no one lives here. It's a volcano. I'm pretty sure it hasn't gone off in at least two hundred years, but I've heard that it's wiped out settlements in the past," said Korra.

A thoughtful look crossed Asami's face. "And I suppose no one decided to rebuild since all of the major shipping routes have moved west."

"Maybe. I dunno." Korra moved to stand in front of Asami and looked at her with a sly grin. "But I do know one thing."

"What's that?"

"We're all alone out here. Just like you wanted," said Korra.

Asami laughed. She hadn't expected Korra to take her so seriously when she suggested they run away to the middle of nowhere so they could finally spend some time together. Yet when she met up with Korra in the Southern Tribe's capital, she found out that's exactly what the shorter woman had planned. "I have to admit that a camping trip in the tundra isn't _quite_ what I had in mind." She bent her head to steal a quick kiss. "But I can't complain."

Korra slid her arms up and around Asami's neck. "You'd better not," she grumbled with feigned irritation. "And this is hardly camping anyway. You packed so many furs and clothes I started to wonder whether or not Naga could carry all of them."

"Speaking of which, where _is_ Naga?" asked Asami.

"At this time of day? Probably out hunting."

Asami didn't miss the tone in Korra's voice. They truly were alone. Not even Naga would interrupt them. She kissed Korra again, this time more deeply than before. Fingers ran through her hair as Korra eagerly melded their bodies together. Asami's heart stuttered and beat faster. Soft, gentle kisses gave way to heated ones and she wasn't sure how much longer she had before her legs gave out. She pulled away and saw a look in Korra's eyes she'd already learned to recognize. Asami managed to summon enough brainpower to speak. "Inside?"

Korra nodded and all but dragged Asami to their small yurt. As she ducked her head and pushed through the entrance flap, Asami was again reminded that it was much more than a tent. She had been skeptical when she heard that some semi-permanent settlements were once filled with them, but she had to admit that their little vacation hide-out was rather cozy. It was warm and large enough for all of their belongings - including the massive pile of furs that lay on the other side of the hearth. Asami shrugged out of her coat and set it aside. Korra sat down across from her and tugged off her boots as she knelt to undo her own bootlaces. She glanced up to see the younger woman looking back with an expression bordering on bashful.

This was a side of Korra she kept hidden from the public eye and it made Asami inexplicably happy to think she was allowed to see her like this. The world knew Korra's reputation. Strong. Bold. Brave. But to Asami, she was all of that and more. She was intimately familiar with the part of Korra that went beyond her reputation. Korra was strong and bold, but she could also be self-conscious and sometimes even a bit apprehensive. Even though she had no problem initiating a kiss, anything beyond that was still up to Asami. She was shy, yet enthusiastic. Korra seemed most comfortable when Asami sat in the driver's seat, but she was certainly no passive passenger. It was almost as if Korra needed permission before she could let go. Asami had wondered about that before and hadn't been able to come up with a satisfactory explanation. She felt Korra's eyes on her and decided to solve this little riddle once and for all.

The engineer stood and shed her clothing with a casualness that defied her body's urge to not-so-casually pounce on her girlfriend. Korra followed suit, obviously not caring whether or not she looked as desperate as she felt. Asami grabbed Korra's hand and sauntered over to the pile of furs, gesturing for Korra to lay down. "On your stomach," said Asami.

Korra raised an eyebrow, but said nothing as she complied with the order. Asami waited for her to get comfortable before moving to straddle her. A lean, hardened back called out to her and she went to work kneading the knotted muscles beneath her. She watched Korra melt into the furs as she relaxed. Asami's pale fingers traced over dark skin, noting the subtle variations in Korra's complexion. Her natural dusky tone gave way to swarthy shoulders. Thin lines on her upper arms denoted where wore her armbands. The smooth gradient of color was occasionally broken up by a faint scar and, in one case, a thumb-sized birthmark that made her think of a puddle of spilled ink. A thought occurred to her and she smiled.

Asami leaned forward, careful to let her nipples just barely graze Korra's back. She ran the fingertips of one hand along Korra's spine and grinned when she heard her breath catch. "You're the tundra," she murmured. "People out there think they know you, but there's a part of you that they'll never experience. And I get to see it. It's stretched out before me right now. So warm and colorful and surprising." She kissed the spot just below Korra's ear and dragged her lips down the side of her neck. "And it's all mine," she said.

Korra let out a deep groan that shot right through Asami and resonated deep within. She gave herself a mental shake and tried to remain focused on her goal. Asami sat back, knowing Korra would hate the loss of contact. "I have a question," she said. She made sure to use just enough of her I-mean-business tone to let Korra know she was serious. "You don't have to answer, but I really want to know."

"Know what?"

"Why do you hold back? You always wait for me to take charge. I used to think that maybe you were just shy…" Asami trailed off as she felt Korra tense beneath her. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything. I - "

"I _am_ shy," came the muffled reply.

Asami leaned over so that she was half draped along the length of Korra's back. "Why?" she asked.

Korra hesitated and although Asami couldn't see her face, she could imagine the blush that must've covered her cheeks. "At first, I was shy because I wasn't sure I knew what I was doing. I don't exactly have a ton of experience and I didn't want to disappoint you."

"Korra, you know you're _far_ from disappointing. And I'm not just saying that to make you feel better," said Asami.

"Thanks. But that's not why I'm shy now."

"And…?" Asami prodded.

The younger woman rolled onto her back to face Asami, but still couldn't meet her gaze. "I'm embarrassed."

Asami rolled her eyes and struggled to keep her impatience in check. "We've seen each other naked more times than we can count at this point. I've heard you make noises I _know_ you'd never make in public and my face has been between your legs. I think we should be beyond embarrassment at this point."

"No, that's not it!" insisted Korra. "It's just that… It's like I'm always ready to go at a moment's notice. I'm like a sixteen-year-old boy. Especially with you. Sometimes, all it takes is one look and I'm scared by how much I want you."

Asami's eyes widened. "Oh. That's…"

"Vulgar. I know." Korra rolled onto her side.

"No. That's not it. I just wasn't expecting to hear that." Asami shifted to face Korra and cupped her cheek. "Hey, listen. Being with you is the most incredible experience I've ever had. I'm not going to push you, but you should know that what you feel is nothing to be ashamed of."

Korra's eyes darkened and Asami got the vague impression she was trying to hold on to something. "Asami," she whispered.

Asami slid her hand behind Korra's head and pulled her in for a kiss. The eagerness in Korra's response should not have surprised her so much, but Asami still found herself swept up by it. When Korra began slow down, Asami moved so that she straddled her once more. She leaned forward and nipped at her earlobe. "Stop holding back, Korra."

Asami knew she must have stumbled upon the right words when she found herself at the mercy of wandering fingers and lips. Korra's hands slid down to her bottom and gave a little squeeze before pulling her forward. She gripped her waist with an almost bruising strength and lifted her own hips so that Asami's core rubbed against her hardened stomach. The engineer gasped at the sensation and needed no further encouragement. She braced herself and continued the movement on her own. Asami pulled her gaze away from Korra's heaving chest to look at her face and her heart skipped a beat. She stared at the younger woman, entranced by the wildness that dominated her shining blue eyes. Her disheveled hair only added to the overall effect and Asami was struck by how she appeared so untamed, uninhibited, and sensual all at once. Something had changed. Korra was letting go.

Without warning, Korra sat upright. She bent her legs and held Asami against her so that the taller woman remained in her lap. Asami reflexively wrapped her legs around Korra's waist and clung to her shoulders, gasping when Korra bent her head to take one rosy nipple in her mouth. It was all lips and tongue and teeth as Korra kissed and nipped at her. One of her skilled, calloused hands found its way to the other breast and Asami arched her back with throaty moan. Korra continued to explore with her mouth as her hand moved to one of the legs at her waist. She kept one arm around Asami to hold her in place while her spare hand caressed and drifted up her inner thigh. By the time Korra's mouth had wandered back up to Asami's collarbone, her fingers were already brushing against the dark curls between her legs. Asami tightened her grip and let her head fall back as Korra finally reached her warm, slick folds. The Avatar groaned into her neck, sounding less like she was the one doing the touching and more like the one being touched.

Asami sank her hands in Korra's thick hair, lifting her face so she could bend down and capture her lips. She rocked against Korra in a wordless plea for more. Korra's fingers caressed her in a familiar pattern, and then Asami felt her slip three of them inside. The sudden sensation of fullness made her cry out and she clenched around the fingers. Korra kept her thrusts short and rapid, ensuring that the heel of her hand continued to press against her from the outside. It was unlike their previous lovemaking. Korra had always been passionate and attentive, but now she was rough and fast and feral and it was swiftly driving Asami to an ecstatic delirium. Asami deliberately raked her nails across Korra's back, earning a harsh intake of breath that mingled with the sound of her own panting. And then she was there - tumbling over the edge and trembling as she slowly came down.

Asami opened her eyes and saw Korra watching her with a blend of tenderness and lust. She moved a long-fingered hand to gently cup Korra's cheek and kissed her. Everything suddenly seemed calm and still. But it was only the eye of the storm passing overhead. Korra flipped them over so she was finally on top, giving her full freedom of movement. There was more kissing, more touching, and more gasping. The weight of her body settled over Asami's and she sank deeper into the furs. A pair of hands - those wicked, maddening hands - pinned her wrists above her head and she offered no resistance. Asami felt Korra shift above her before settling down again as she straddled her thigh. She smiled when the younger woman began moving against her and buried her face in her shoulder. It was clear what Korra wanted, so Asami bent her knee slightly. Korra whimpered at the increased contact and pressure, rolling her hips with an urgency that almost surprised Asami.

"Spirits, 'Sami," Korra rasped. "So close."

Asami felt her arousal building up again as she grew hyperaware of the wetness on her thigh, the feel of Korra's breasts against her own, and the musky scent in the air. Korra bit her shoulder - too light to really hurt but still hard enough to bruise - and Asami's hips jerked instinctively. She moaned as Korra shuddered and a strangled cry filled the yurt. The grip on her wrists slackened and Asami wrapped the younger woman in her arms, holding her in a firm embrace until her breathing slowed. Eventually, Korra pushed herself up and back to sit on her heels. Asami's studious gaze wandered over her, taking in rise and fall of her chest, the beads of sweat trickling down her throat, the wild gleam that lingered in her eyes. Korra stared back, looking as if she was waiting for Asami to pass judgement.

"Korra…"

Korra swallowed hard. "Was that… okay?" she asked.

"Okay?" Asami laughed. "That was more than okay. The only way I'll change my mind is if that was supposed to be the grand finale, because you've got me too worked up to quit now."

A blush swept across Korra's cheeks, clashing with her earlier wantonness. Her smile of relief turned into confident smirk. "Good. 'Cause I'm not done with you yet," she said.

Asami propped herself up on one arm and lazily traced the lines of muscle in Korra's forearms. "Well, how could I possibly say 'no' to that?"

Korra grinned mischievously and Asami's last coherent thought before she was pushed back onto the furs was that they really should've done this months ago.

**/**

**A/N: So there you have it. This one was rather fun to write. I tried to justify the smut with a little emotion and some plot, but let's just call it like it is: smutty-smut-smut.**

**A/N #2: Yurts are awesome and the tundra is beautiful.**


	10. Honesty

**DISCLAIMER: ****_Legend of Korra_**** belongs to Dicke… uh, i mean Nickelodeon.**

**SPOILER ALERT: This fic takes place sometime after Book 4, but the finale hasn't aired yet so it only contains spoilers up through ****_Beyond the Sprit Wilds_****.**

**A/N: Before we get this show on the road, i have some good news and some bad news. The bad news is this will likely be the last update i post for a while. I'm taking a sabbatical from school and work so i can do some traveling, and i probably won't have internet access most of the time. The good news is that i'll continue to write while i'm on the road and i should be able to post random updates when/if i find myself around some free WiFi.**

**Prompt: Honesty.**

**/**

Korra never learned to hide her emotions. She was raised to be open about her feelings, as were all children of the Southern Water Tribe. To be open about one's feelings was to be honest and her people had always ranked honesty among the highest of virtues. The strongest of warriors was considered weak if he or she was dishonest, no matter how much they could carry or how far they could run. And although the South Pole was becoming more and more cosmopolitan by the day, the warrior culture of the south still characterized even the "modernized" fragments of society. It was a mark of pride for her people. So when the tall, mustached man all but sneered at her unguarded display of emotion, Korra decided to take it as a compliment.

There was a part of Korra that understood the man's reaction. The United Republic Founding Day Gala was a formal affair and perhaps she had been a little _too_ affectionate towards Asami. Korra hadn't exactly been groomed for "polite society," but she could admit that greeting Asami with a kiss was a little inappropriate given their surroundings, even if it was painfully chaste. There was nothing she could do about it now except give her refined, well-mannered girlfriend a sheepish grin. Asami wasn't upset, but Korra knew she'd receive a gentle reminder to be more careful before the night was over.

The man standing next to Asami gave Korra a once-over, his eyes lingering judgmentally on her simple dark blue dress, dyed leather forearm guards, and bare, muscled shoulders. It was an all-too familiar look of condescension and Korra bristled slightly. The mental image of her fist meeting his face suddenly seemed very appealing, but she fought the urge to turn fantasy into reality. It wasn't worth the trouble.

"Miss Sato, won't you introduce me to your… friend?" asked the man.

Asami's back stiffened and Korra couldn't help but smile as she watched the older woman go from warm girlfriend to cold CEO in the blink of an eye. She always did that when speaking to someone she didn't like. Apparently, the man's attitude towards Korra hadn't gone unnoticed. "Of course. Harnook," she said with a small wave of her hand, "please allow me to introduce Avatar Korra. Korra, this is Harnook. His company handles mineral exports from the North Pole."

"Pleased to meet you," she said, catching the flicker of acknowledgement in the northerner's face. Unable to resist egging him on, Korra thrust her hand forward for a handshake, smiling when his forehead wrinkled and mouth contorted into a poorly concealed frown. She was well aware that she was too assertive by northern standards - especially for a woman - but northerners were nothing if not exceedingly polite and it would be rude for him to ignore the offered hand. After all, Korra was the Avatar and no matter what cultural differences stood between the Northern and Southern Water Tribes, the northerners were a people with deeply ingrained spiritual beliefs. Hanook might not have respect for Korra, but he would respect the Avatar.

Eventually, Hanook accepted her firm handshake with a slight bow. "The pleasure is all mine, Avatar Korra." His face softened almost imperceptibly. "I know some have questioned your choices, but many of us in the Northern Tribe were quite happy that you left the spirit portals open. I've also heard about your plans to help our cousins in the Swamp restore the Banyon Grove. It seems you have done much to bring spiritual balance to our world," he admitted.

Finally. A bit of sincerity. Korra relaxed a little. "Thank you," she said.

Hanook nodded and glanced around, clearly looking for an escape. His eyes settled on a distant corner and he lifted his chin with a hollow smile. "Ah, an old friend of mine just walked in. Pardon me," he said before melting into the crowd.

"Well," said Asami. "_That_ was awkward. Thanks for that."

Korra uttered a playful _tsk_. "Miss Sato, don't you know that sarcasm is unbecoming of a lady?"

Green eyes twinkled with mirth, though the rest of Asami's face remained impassive. Korra knew that look. It was a look that sent a shiver down her spine and made her cheeks burn. That look made her feel weak at the knees - made her forget that she was the Avatar, master of four elements. It was _the_ look.

"Oh, Korra. Trust me. I'm rather well acquainted with all kinds of behavior that would be unbecoming of a lady," Asami murmured.

A familiar warmth spread throughout Korra and she tried to appear unaffected by the pale fingers that reached out to touch her and lingered on her arm. The gesture would have appeared innocent enough to anyone who might be watching, but Korra knew better. Asami was paying her back for her social faux pas. Korra had been purposefully toying with Hanook, and now Asami was going to toy with her. Unlike Korra, however, Asami was a master in the art of subtlety and getting even. The next few hours were going to be a tortuous game of nuanced flirtation that would undoubtedly leave Korra flustered and uncomfortable by the end of the evening. She allowed her gaze to run over the taller woman, taking in the way thin layers of red and charcoal silk hugged gentle curves and revealed just enough cleavage to make her heart beat faster. Oh yeah. She was in trouble.

Asami reached behind Korra to pluck a thin glass of champagne from a server's tray as he walked by. The tray wasn't out of reach, but Asami still had to lean forward, causing her breasts to just barely graze Korra's upper arm and send the poor bender's brain into overdrive. The taller woman used the opportunity to whisper a lewd promise in her ear before stepping back to casually scan the room. Korra swallowed hard and reminded herself to breathe. Asami spotted to Suyin and waved, acting as if she hadn't just spoken some of the most delightfully inappropriate words Korra had ever heard.

Correction. She was in _deep_ trouble.

"I'm going to go talk to Su about Bataar's monorail plans. We're thinking about working together to expand the existing rail network out to some of the islands off the southern coast. I figure if we can establish a line to Kyoshi Island, it should be no problem finding investors to back the rest of the project." Asami glanced over at Korra and smiled as the shorter woman simply nodded. "In the meantime," she said, "behave yourself. If I hear about any more of… whatever _that_ was between you and Hanook, you can forget about taking part in any other unbecoming behavior tonight."

Although Korra was half tempted to call her bluff, she bit back a snarky reply and instead muttered a promise to behave. Asami smiled seductively and sauntered off, knowing full well that Korra was staring at her retreating form.

A tipsy Bolin suddenly stepped into view, jacket hanging open and thumbs tucked under his suspenders in a nonchalant manner. "Hey, Korra! I've been looking for you. Wow, you look flushed," he blurted as he slung a companionable arm around her shoulders. "What'cha thinkin' about?"

"I need to go take an ice bath," sighed Korra.

/

Asami propped herself up on one elbow so she could look down at Korra. She ran her slender fingers through short, chestnut hair and smiled when the gesture earned her a happy purr. Korra gravitated towards the warmth of Asami's chest and snuggled up against her torso, wrapping a possessive arm around the other woman's waist with sigh of contentment. True to her whispered words, Asami had rewarded her good behavior with a very thorough demonstration of things unbecoming of a lady. Korra grinned. Asami concocted an excuse for them to leave only halfway through the evening and all but dragged her home, and Korra suspected she might've gotten that demonstration regardless of how she'd behaved.

"So, I've been thinking about something…"

Korra blinked and struggled to concentrate on Asami's voice, though she wasn't really making it easy by tracing invisible circles and swirls on her shoulder. Leave it to the engineer to go into analytical mode while they're naked and tangled in the sheets. Korra fought through a lustful fog and tried to ignore the fingertip that was now working its way along her collarbone. "Yeah?"

"I know relations between the Southern and Northern Water Tribes haven't always been great and I understand why things have been tense since the Hundred Year War," said Asami. "What I don't really get is why there's such a strong cultural difference, even though about half of the people in the Southern Water Tribe have at least one or two grandparents from the Northern Tribe."

"Because the northerners are assholes," came the knee-jerk, mumbled response.

"Your dad is from the north," Asami pointed out.

Korra huffed. "Yeah, but he's a southerner at heart. Besides, he became part of mom's clan once they got married. Where he came from wasn't really important after that."

"I don't get it," Asami confessed. "Are you saying that your mom's family adopted him or something?"

"Something like that." Korra laced her fingers through Asami's and pursed her lips thoughtfully. "I'm not quite sure how to explain it. Last time I tried, Mako and Bolin looked at me like I was nuts," she said.

Asami sat up and leaned back against her bed's headboard. "Try me," she insisted.

Korra smiled at the look of genuine curiosity on Asami's face and shifted to rest her head on the other woman's shoulder. "Okay. So the chiefs of the Northern Water Tribe inherit their father's position. Kinda like the kings and queens in the Earth Kingdom. But in the south, the chief is elected by the council of the elders."

"Right."

"Each elder is usually the matriarch or patriarch of one of the clans and the elders inherit _their_ positions through the mother's family instead of the father's. In fact, everything is inherited through the mother's line," Korra explained. "So everyone knows I'm Tonraq's daughter because he's the chief. But if we're talking about family or clan business, I'd be referred to as Senna's daughter first and Tonraq's daughter second."

Asami took a moment to process the information. "So if a man from the Northern Water Tribe got married to a southerner…"

"He'd have cut family ties back home and ask to be accepted into his wife's clan," Korra finished.

"Hm."

"It's been that way for as long as anyone can remember." Korra shrugged. "Northerners don't like it. That's why most of the northern immigrants were outcasts or had been disowned like my dad. Family is everything to the tribes, and an outcast has nothing to lose and everything to gain if they marry a southerner. As soon as they marry, they assimilate. Poof!" said with an animated flick of her fingers. "That's it. They're southern."

"Okay, but what about northern women?" asked Asami.

Korra hesitated. "I don't know. There weren't too many that went south." She let her hand travel up a firm, pale thigh. "Come to think of it, it's probably because they had to stay at home. Northern women don't have as much freedom as we do in the south. The Northern Water Tribe is weird like that. I've heard it used to be a lot worse and that it's gotten better over the past couple of generations, but I still don't like it," she said in a biting tone.

Asami nodded empathetically. "I can see why."

Korra tensed and scowled. "Northerners in general tend to look down on us, but the men are usually the worst. They think we're backwards and barbaric. They think we're uncivilized because we believe women can be more than just wives, healers, and mothers." She sat up and waved her arms angrily. "Did you know that before the 100 Year War, nearly every shaman in the Southern Water Tribe was a woman!"

"Woah, wait. _Shaman_? What - "

"Yeah. Oh, and don't even get me _started_ on marriage practices," warned Korra. She twisted so she could see Asami's face. "Did you know arranged marriages are still a big thing up north? And the brides hardly have a say in the matter."

"Korra."

"And they say _we're_ barbaric. Hah! I mean, we might be more scattered and live in smaller cities. And sure, we still do that thing with koi whale blood during a warrior's right of passage, which i actually did think was a _little_ gross, but - "

"Korra."

" - at least we treat each other with respect and - "

"_Korra._"

A pair of hands clamped down on her shoulders. Asami eased her back until she lay against the other woman's body. Korra sucked in a lungful of air, relaxing almost instantly as she breathed in Asami's scent. "Sorry," she mumbled.

"It's okay." Asami dropped her head and buried her face in Korra's neck. "I'd heard a lot of that before. Sometimes immigrants from the Northern and Southern Water Tribes butt heads, but it seems like it's not as bad here in Republic City."

Korra laughed at that. "I think it's a Tribe thing." Her laughter dropped off and became a sigh as Asami placed a kiss below her ear. "You're not making it easy to keep track of my thoughts, you know. Anyway, there's this old saying…" she trailed off and groaned.

"Please, do continue. Don't let me stop you," insisted Asami, making a point to sound polite even as her lips wandered up towards Korra's ear.

"There's this old saying: Me against my brother. My brother and I against our cousin. My brother, cousin, and I against our neighbor," Korra finished, arching into the hands that slipped around to her chest. She exposed a little more of her neck and raised a hand to hold Asami's head in place.

"Ah. Makes sense," said Asami. "The north and south might not get along, but they'll team up against everyone else."

"Yeah, that's pretty much it."

The pads of Asami's slender fingers danced along taut, dusky skin. "Interesting," murmured the engineer.

"Is this lesson over?" Under any other circumstance, Korra would have been embarrassed by the way her question came out in a whine. But with Asami's warm mouth and hands… well, dignity be damned.

"For now." Asami quickly slipped out from behind Korra and moved to rest on all fours. She bent her head for a deep kiss before pulling back with a smirk. Green eyes held blue as Asami slowly made her way down to the juncture of her thighs. "Though for the record, I think I'm going to need to know more about this whole clan thing. Gotta know what I'm getting myself into, right?"

Korra opened her mouth to ask exactly what she was implying, but the question died on her lips as soon as Asami reached her destination. She let her head fall back against the bed with a soft moan. The question would go unasked and that was fine. It didn't matter anyway. She already knew the answer.

**/**

**A/N #1: Hm. Well, i'm not quite sure how it happened, but this went from being a story about honesty to a story about cultural bias and gender inequality. Oops. My bad.**

**A/N #2: I've always imagined the Southern Water Tribe as having a genuinely more tribal culture while the Northern Water Tribe seems to have transformed into a more typical patriarchal society with a ruling monarch. There are so, so, sooo many ways this would explain the differences between the two cultures and why the Northern Tribe continuously involved itself in Southern Tribe affairs after the Hundred Year War. And if the Southern Water Tribe really was ****_tribal_****, that would also explain why the tribe's chief is an elected position and why a council of elders is the voting body. That sort of governance is fairly common in tribal societies, which are also often matrilineal instead of patrilineal. True story.**

**A/N #3: Also a true story - the "old saying" Korra mentions is actually a Middle Eastern proverb (some say it's Arabic, others say it's Islamic; i say it's Middle Eastern because i've heard it used by non-Arabs and non-Muslims alike). I'm fond of it because it embodies a very problematic "us versus them" mentality that's hardwired into the human brain.**


End file.
